Word of Mouth
by Ealinesse
Summary: -Complete- Three years after the fall of Sephiroth, Yuffie receives a cryptic letter from home that tells her all is not well in Wutai... But what does a certain Turk have to do with anything? R&R please.
1. Top of the Morning to You

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By Word of Mouth, 

  


By Ealinesse 

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DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are not even in the story yet, though I do claim right to them when they pop up._

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Chapter One: Top of the morning to you...

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Reno sat on the bench seat waiting for his skyway cab to arrive to take him from Midgar to Wutai. 

Leaning lazily backward, his head rested uncomfortably back on the supporting bar. His flaming hair, pulled back into a loose ponytail with the exception of a few bangs falling over his face, was reasonably unkempt, but no worse for wear – at least for him, anyway. His dark suit was rumpled more than 'the usual', as was his collared shirt. He groaned inelegantly as a cable-car whistled by, and the all-too familiar sounds of the skyway station echoed around the small, roofless enclosure; his head pounded ferociously from drinking heavily the night before, and his dark sunglasses concealed tired, bloodshot eyes. He didn't waste the time or the energy to even bother trying to get comfortable, although his nightstick bit ferociously into his side.

As it were, outside of Reno's exhausted mind it was a fine day for the new Midgar. The sun, which the Turk cursed with every passing moment, warmly kissed the new schools, businesses, bars and houses. The cloudless sky stretched out in a brilliant blanket of azure blue, while the ocean to the north-west rippled softly in the fresh, mid-morning breeze, the waves breaking demurely against the warm sand in the distance. The bustle of the citizens was evident as cabs came and went noisily. Personally, Reno just wished the noise would just stop.

To add to the disquiet, a chime-like bell sounded, and Reno made further note to avoid sitting so close to the PA system in the future. 

"Boarding call! Boarding call!" a woman's nasal voice sounded. "Sky-cab travelling from Midgar through to Wutai this morning has now arrived and is now boarding. Departure time: approximately forty minutes." 

Reno groaned and tuned out the voice as the disturbance in the speaker's frequency squawked static sharply over the entire announcement. The sound spoke clearly of an old woman breathing heavily into the microphone, which little regard for the concerns or sensitive airs of those in the area.

As the lady continued her incessant yapping, Reno wished for the thousandth time he didn't have to be here. He would have rather treated his hangover the orthodox way – curled around the toilet bowl with a warm blanket around his shoulders, and a few Aspirin by his side. At least sleep at home would have allowed him the rest he needed. But no, surveillance was the way it was going to be for the next few days – a mission with little regard for his wellbeing. Sleepless nights, and even more sleepless days where being alert and gathering as much information was the way he had to go to keep Reeve happy. Perhaps he shouldn't have taken that rookie up in a drinking contest last night.

He would rather have Elena do this job, or even Rude, but just like everything that Fate chewed up and spat out in Reno's life, it wasn't meant to be. They were busy, and right now, he was supposed to be as well. Instead they would arrive in three or four days time, and meet up with him in order to take out their target.

The redhead scowled and rearranged his shades as a random pinpoint of light managed to squirm in behind his glasses. It was going to be a long, boring day, he thought - and not for the first time. He was bone-tired, and he knew he'd never get any sleep on the noisy sky-cab. The same would probably apply to the various stopovers they were going to have in between rides, too, if the places were anywhere as noisy as this. He groaned, not for the first time regretting drinking so heavily the night before such a mission. Another beam of light found its miserable way into his glasses, agreeing with him jovially as it pestered the fiery young man. Giving up on even trying to find a compromising position that would agree with him and his glasses, he rolled his head slowly to the left…

...Only to come face to face with a pair of unblinking, wide blue eyes.

The Turk sat up abruptly, putting a hand to his aching head as a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm him. He glared at the offending blonde kid, and only just managed to smother a scowl. Biting back a yawn and a muffled curse, he continued his patent stare. The boy, unable to see through the black glass, grinned widely, too young, naive and nosy to be scared of him. Reno rolled his eyes, his fingers itching to whip out his night-stick and zap the kid into oblivion - though his mother, a very pregnant and sound-asleep woman even further to his left would probably have something to say about that. So, instead, he opted for the mature thing, and poked out his tongue. 

When the kid only copied his gesture, Reno pushed his glasses onto the top of his head, sitting up from his previous slump in the seat and blinking away the morning sun's baleful glare. Last time he'd checked, he'd been alone in the seat. He'd rather it stayed that way.

Ten minutes later, after fifteen glares and four further doses of ignorance, the kid still hadn't looked away, and the 'mother' still hadn't noticed. After a sixteenth glare, the stupid grin that Reno had come to loathe rose again, and the Turk decided to give up. He would have moved away, _if_ there had been anywhere else spare to sit. But there wasn't, and standing right now just wasn't an option.

Reno flicked a stray lock of hair from his face and turned his gaze straight ahead, focussing on his travel-pack in order to distil his rising temper. He swore under his breath when the kid only leaned in closer, and in an effort to keep the him away, he hefted his bag onto the small amount of space to his left, slapping it with a fistful of meaning and raising a thin eyebrow. 

The kid was not deterred for long. He picked at a loose string on the bag with a small hand. 

His hangover momentarily forgotten - and annoyance rising in its place - Reno slapped the kid's hand away, realizing that not since Cloud and his crew had he faced a more persistently stupid opponent.

In an attempt to ignore the - in his opinion _retarded_ - infant, Reno sifted through his pocket, pulling out a folded wad of paper and opening it to reveal his short, and very plain mission briefing. He grinned and a short laugh bubbled in his throat as he recognised Rude's writing scrawled hastily across the top of the page. _'Stay out of trouble, Reno,'_ it read. Short and as blunt as the briefing itself, it seemed even the bald Turk, with his simple ways, doubted that Reno could stay out of trouble for a few days. 

Did 'trouble' include zapping a kid who was more annoying than Elena could be at times?

His feral grin widened as he read it again. Plain, simple, and home in four days - with luck, no strings attached. Keeping an eye on one person had never been easier. The way he saw it, trouble, no matter how clever it was in pursuing him, couldn't possibly rear it's ugly head in the next few days...

...Then of course, with his penchant for the unexpected, it wouldn't be that big a surprise. Even to himself. Reno shook his head, ignoring the kid that was again intent on tying the strings on his bags in a thick procession of granny knots, pushing out of his mind the things that could go wrong. _'Not going to happen,'_ he reminded himself, before focussing again on the document. 

Forcing the creases out of his forehead as the kid began humming mundanely, Reno's cool aquamarine eyes flicked over the boring mission details, and through the personal files and records of man he was to watch. It was all pretty straightforward, the man's history being one of jealously, loss and bitterness. Seeing nothing of interest he skipped straight to the bottom: _'CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT: DESTROY AFTER BRIEFING.'_

Reno shook his head, not even bothering this time to wonder why Reeve Davison, the new head of Shinra Inc. incessantly told them that every time. Destruction and improvisation with such matters was a Turk's specialty. End of story. So he had to destory the papers? No biggie. It would have been done normally. He could have simply pulled out his lighter and be done with it, but when the kid began to hum louder, a sudden smirk spread across his face as a rather appealing idea occurred to him. He had just found something more amusing than merely sitting and waiting for the next cab. Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone…

As Reno swatted the kid's hand away from the clasp to his bag a second time he leaned over and then snatched the hefty item from the grasp of the young boy, pulling out a faintly glowing, emerald stone. As he did this, he squeezed the monotonous sheets of paper into a fist-sized projectile with his other hand, creating a small item that was compact enough to throw comfortably. 

Reno smiled as warmly as he could under the situation, realizing that the child was to asinine to recognize the familiar glint in his eyes. "Hey kid, what's ya name?"

"Jay," the boy answered without question and the utmost trust.

"Jay, huh?" the Turk drawled, looking studiously to the left out of the corner of his eye. A faint and ethereal light reflected on the boy's face and his on eyes as he leaned forward, trying to get a better glimpse at the awesome, glowing stone. Unafraid before, a small spark of fear kindled in the child's huge eyes as the identity of the radiant matter revealed itself.

"Is... Is that-"

"Ye-up." Reno nodded, throwing the ball of paper up and down a couple of times. After a moment, when the object was again in midair, he swiped it out of the air unexpectedly in one smooth, practised motion. "It's called Materia, kid."

The boy's eyes widened as he sat back a little, disturbing his mother only a little. She grunted and shifted slightly, then settled back down. Reno watched as he gulped, his tiny Adam's-apple scraping against his throat in lieu of his fear. And it was then, when the sickly light shone on so clearly on his pale face, and his wide blue eyes opened even wider, that the Turk realized how much the kid looked like a an insect. A nice, _squishable_ bug.

Reno lowered his eyes and began juggling the Materia and the paper in one hand, never one to miss the opportunity to show off. He leaned in closer to bug-eyes. "This is Fire Materia, Jay," he said matter-of-factly, catching both objects and holding the heavier one out for the boy to see. He leaned closer and leered when the boy finally moved away from him a little. "Do you _know_ what people like me _do_ with Fire Materia?"

Gulping, it was all Reno could do to hide his delight as Jay leaned back further, his face paling by the second. "W-hat? Wh-what do they do?" His eyes began to water, and though the Turk knew he deserved it for sticking his nose where it didn't belong, Reno began to feel a little sorry for the kid as he cowered against his slumbering mother.

Then, in a move both calculated and clever, the Turk stood abruptly, spinning to face the child who balked in new-found fright. As he moved he threw the balled paper high into the air, watching it with a devilish grin as it teetered at its zenith, before plummeting; falling down directly into Jay's range of vision...

Then, as it passed instantaneously in front of the boy's startled face, Reno winked and summoned a small fire spell just powerful enough to set such a small object alight. Right in front of the kid's nose - no further away than a foot - the paper lit briefly with a condensed inner glow, before exploding into a large ball of grey, used-up ash, and showering the boy in a spent black cloud.

Swiping up his bag Reno laughed at the sight, along with a small audience that had gathered nearby. Revenge was sweet, the Turk decided as he struggled to contain further laughter. Unhurt, but dazed by the frightful trick, the small child was covered from his sooty face to his feet in dirty black carbon - a filthy by-product of any fire spell. It clung to the kid's face in heavy waves while he sat rigid and shocked, wide-eyed and motionless except for small, rapid intakes of breath. His wide sapphire eyes, so vivid before in his pale face were now, again, the only distinguishable feature of his anatomy. His colourful clothes were rampant in fashionable shades of black and grey, blending like a chameleon into the dark metal of the seat he was perched on.

In a matter of taste Reno snorted, realizing that Bug-boy was no longer a problem. Right now, in fact, he looked more like a _fried_ insect, albeit not a squished one. That was one problem dealt with. 

"Much better," the Turk mumbled. And, in a much more agreeing mood than before, Reno turned to leave. Subconsciously he laughed at the reaction the people had to him, knowing that he wouldn't have any trouble finding a spare seat on this trip; the crowd of amused gatherers parted like a wave before him, scrambling to get out of his way should he have another trick up his sleeve. Placing the handy orb of Materia back into his bag, Reno flipped his sunglasses down over his eyes with a smirk of finality, and headed toward his destination.

As he boarded his Sky-cab and took his seat, a high-pitched female voice wrought like fingernails on a chalkboard through the crisp morning air. Catching the name 'Jay' mentioned in among the curses and shrieks, Reno laughed, hoping the kid had a good excuse for getting himself into such a mess. His mother would probably never believe the tale told to her, no matter the circumstance.

__

'Serves him right,' Reno thought as he settled down in an entirely fruitless attempt to get some sleep. _'_Nobody_ messes with a Turk.'_

~*~*~*~*~*~

Yuffie leaned back further in her corner of the soft sofa, slurping at a hot mug of Shera's famous tea, all the while worshipping the cup's distinctive warmth. She closed her ears to noise as outside the wind howled viscously, resounding fiercely against the timber panes of wood and whistling against the framed windows that quivered with every fresh burst of thunder. Rain, an accomplice to the terrible weather, pelted hard into the glass in fitful torrents, fogging it and making visibility poor, obscuring the view of the remaining parts of the town.

Turning back to the only thing that was keeping her warm - she was too distant from the fire for it to really have any effect - the girl took another sip, her large hazel eyes peering boredly over the mug to the people beyond.

Cloud and Tifa, to her left, were curled up on the remaining part of the couch, the lion's share of colourful blankets and quilts piled over their huddled forms. Red, his chest rising and falling slowly with every breath, slept on the large oriental rug in front of her, absorbing most of the fire's heat, his soft breathing barely audible over the roaring fire and hectic weather. Barret sat tall even whilst in a slouch as he stooped with a hand on Marlene's shoulder as the girl, too, slept. Cid and Shera, inseparable since their wedding only two weeks before - _finally_, three years after the fall of Sephiroth and after much fuss and bother - sat on a couch of their own, the blond-haired pilot's arm draped possessively over that of his wife's. The custom cigarettes that usually draped from the Highwind pilot's lips were instead moved permanently to behind his ears – only by Shera's prompting, of course.

Looking around for the ninth member of the crew that she also knew to be there, the ninja spotted him before a clouded window, still and solemn; unmoving and unobtrusive as always. That the ex-Turk could actually see anything other than condensated glass, Yuffie was dubious.

After another sip, a loud slurp alerted her to the fact that her warm cup had run dry. She leant forward and put it back down on the glass table. She winced as the porcelain clinked loudly on the pane of coloured glass, the small sound being the only noise made inside the room. Sitting back, she sighed loudly for the umpteenth time already that day, more than a little bored, and stretched, receiving a glare from Barret, who then looked down to check the slight girl by his side hadn't been woken up by the noise. The young thief merely raised a quizzical eyebrow and shrugged as the black man looked away.

It seemed that no matter what she did, she couldn't get comfortable again. Trying to settle back into the couch, she leaned back after another stretch, only to notice that Tifa's foot had snaked out and stolen most of her space. That explained the pain in her back. She wriggled fruitlessly trying to regain her territory, but as small as she was, it was still impossible for her to sit without waking the slumbering woman. 

Yuffie frowned, then huffed as loud as she could. More than annoyed at losing her spot, she skulked down to the floor after noticing that her previous seat had been the last one left, deciding that since she was suffering, everyone else should too. 

No one seemed to notice. Except for Barret, that was, who sent Yuffie another glower that clearly said, 'shut the hell up'. He pointed to the dozing Marlene then put a large finger to his puffy lips, his dark eyes emphatic. Reprimanded for making even so much as a small noise, the young ninja mock-pouted and poked out her tongue. Barret looked away, rolling his eyes. Immature, she knew, but she was bored _and_ uncomfortable _and_ cold. _'Take it up with Tifa, who stole all my room, Barret,'_ she thought, _'at least then I wouldn't be making any noise. Not my fault Shera wanted a timber floor in her new house.I would have chosen carpet, myself.'_

But she held her tongue, instead preferring to think happily over the chaos she'd caused earlier in the morning. It wasn't her fault that she'd woken them all up after her usual exercise routine. And, even if it was (which it wasn't), that wasn't the point. The rain and horrible weather was no excuse to stay in bed, even after a party. Had she known that the wind would have slammed the door shut and that everyone was still sleeping then she wouldn't have charged into the house like the Energizer Bunny. Hell, she'd though everyone had been out or something, not still in bed.

And was it her fault that after that the temptation had been too hard to resist? Especially when the pots and pans used to cook the feast from the night before had been sitting on the drying rack on the bench? Hangover or not, 9:30 in the morning was no time for sleep. Not when there was more exciting stuff to do. Rain was no accomplice for extra rest - wasn't that what Staniv had always told her? _'So sue me if I was the only one smart enough to remain sober.'_

Mischievously, she looked around at all the half-lidded eyes, remembering the boisterous broadcasting of curses and phrases that she had emitted that morning in an effort to get them to rise. It had worked well – better than she'd hoped – and the effect had been pleasantly disastrous. She grinned, muffling a laugh at the memory of Cid, clothed only in a haphazard blanket, throwing anything he could find down their stairs at the riotous thief as she created as much clamour as she could with all the pots and pans she could find. She looked up at the lazy pilot, who sat with droopy eyes in the corner of the couch to her right. That was certainly the most he'd moved in the hour and a half that he'd been up. Instantly, it seemed, after her masterful disturbance, everyone had just migrated to the couches, and Shera - the most composed of all the drinkers - had kindly handed out blankets; she was the only one taking pity on them.

Settling down for the moment, Yuffie frowned as she tried to get comfortable on the hardwood floor, wincing and shifting again as something bit into her finger while she moved.

"Damn it!" she said as she nursed the splinter in her finger. "Why the hell do I have to sit on the floor!"

"Shit Yuffie, give it a rest will ya?"

The ninja smirked, swiping a brunette bang from her eyes. The splinter momentarily forgotten, she found a small, roguish smile tugging at the corner of her lips. He did deserve it the rising comment, she convinced herself. No one threw hard objects at _her_ and got away with it.

"_Rest_, Cid?" she piped up. "That's what _night-time_ is for, but I think you missed out on a little of that last night, huh? Tell me, Cid, are the walls really _that_ unstable in your house? What time did you really go to sleep? Come on now, you can be honest with us!" She winked at Shera, who had moved her hand to conceal her laughter. Yuffie could see her shoulders shaking with mirth. Cid, not so pleased with what the wisecrack implied, jumped from his seat and raised an arm to lean forward and cuff the girl over the head.

...But to no avail. Too quick for the pilot's carelessly aimed flail, Yuffie rolled backwards and danced out of the pilot's clumsy reach as he leapt forward. Dodging another shot, she leapt behind the couch, rolling her eyes at the riled aviator.

"Night equals _sleep_, Cid," she chortled. "Not se-"

"Yuffie, please sit down."

Reluctantly, the energetic girl turned to Cloud, who nestled a napping Tifa in the crook of his arm. "Fine," she pouted, noticing that Tifa's long legs had at one stage taken leave of her spot. Leaping nimbly over the back of the couch, she plonked lazily back into her previous habitat before the brunette on the couch could so much as move, disturbing the two settled people that had been resting there the entire time.

Cloud glared, while Cid aimed the soft cuff around her head that he'd been planning all along. Yuffie yelped slightly at the shot, and satisfied, the Highwind's pilot nodded his head in acceptance of the punishment before returning to cuddle Shera, his weathered face red with something akin to embarrassment. 

Yuffie laughed, waving off Cloud's glare as Tifa continued to sleep on soundly as if nothing at all had taken place. Cloud continued to glower. And so, for lack of anything better to do, the girl from Wutai raised a thin brow in amusement, and poked out her tongue. Nobody told her what to do and got away with it.

***

For the better part of an hour, not to mention the time before that, the group sat there, not uttering a word; either asleep of very close to it. That was until Vincent stirred by the window, his eagle-like eyes spotting a vague silhouette of a figure against the darkened streets. For all the time of day, the tall man noted, it may as well have been midnight on the dark of the moon.

The crimson-cloaked man watched the figure grow increasingly closer as it weaved across and back the small cobbled road, checking addresses against something tucked inside a thick parka. Then, decisively, the outline grew into the more definite shape of a lanky man as it seemed to agree with a final mailbox: Cid's. Vincent watched as the figure seemed to square it's shoulders, before heading up the path to Cid and Shera's home.

Vincent turned to Cid, his glowing ruby eyes as curious as they were going to get. "Someone's coming," he whispered.

It was the first sound uttered for nearly an hour, and though it was quiet, everyone still at least half-awake stirred. Those who weren't bogged down by another form, sat higher in their seats - or on their mat -, stretching limbs that had long fallen asleep. Curious, but not overly motivated to inquire as to who the person may be, they sat forward in an irresolute manner, trying to see through the murky window.

"Who is it?" Cid asked after a second. Shera's chocolate eyes warmed to those of motherly concern.

"A man. Older. Tall. I can't see much else. He's carrying something, but-"

"Oh the poor dear," Shera sighed, forgetting her tiredness and getting lightly to her feet. She moved over to the door. "What is he thinking out in this weather?" 

"He can't be thinking a hell of a lot, if he's bloody crazy enough to be outside right now," Cid muttered, following his wife and wiping hastily at the hazy window. Squinting, the pilot tried to make out the identity of the figure heading up their path even as it again began to condensate. He cursed. "Can't see a damned thing!"

Shera, impatient out of curiosity and concern, pushed open the door. "Hello?" she called. Receiving no answer the woman stepped back and shook herself off as heavy gusts of wind forced the rain inside, onto the doormat and the entranceway.

"Hello?" she called again, though a little louder.

In answer a weather-beaten figure stepped forward, and the woman's face cracked into a grin as she surveyed the soaked man. 

"Well there you are!" Shera laughed, shaking her head. "Never thought I'd see you out it weather like this!"

Yuffie, unable to see past Barret, jumped up from her seat and raced to the door, looking for something - anything - to cure her oppressive boredom, and any reason to stretch her legs or use her voice, which, in her humble opinion, had been severely neglected in the past few hours. 

Reaching Cid and Shera's side, the young ninja rolled her eyes at the sight of Cid, who had pulled a cigarette from behind his ear, lit it, then replaced the one behind his empty ear with yet another of his seemingly endless supply. For someone supposed to be quitting, he was doing a bad job of it. Looking to the newcomer, she noticed the man was tall - much taller than Cid - and rather old, almost bald except for tufts of white hair around the tops of his ears. She'd seen him before around the town while she had been exploring, but she didn't know his name.

"How are you, Shera? Cid?"

Ignoring the man's question, Shera shook her head again at the sight of the saturated man. "Donny!" she tutted. "Come in, you old fool. You're soaked! What brings you here in this weather? Would you like a cup of t-"

"Shera! Give the man a break, huh?" 'Donny' laughed at Cid's comment, shrugging off his heavy coat and hanging it on a hook next to the door. Shera merely smiled and nodded, scuttling into the kitchen, most likely to brew a fresh batch of tea. Cid watched her leave, then turned to Donny, clapping him on the back with a grin. "Fuck Donny, you're mad to be out in this!"

"It's not without reason," the man replied. Turning to his jacket, he reached into an inside pocket and pulled out a small white envelope. Cid squinted, straining to read the small print scrawled onto it.

Yuffie, more than a little curious, stood on tippy-toes, trying to see past the squinting pilot. In an effort to get him to move, she flicked a cigarette from behind his ear, before paying him back the blow he had dealt her earlier. "Cid, let me see!"

As the pilot moved aside a little, Donny closed the door behind him and held out the letter. Taking the small envelope, Yuffie frowned, recognizing her own name printed in slightly running black ink. 

"Huh?" she vocalized inelegantly.

"It's for you, in case you haven't gathered." Donny frowned, pointing at the bolder word at the top. Yuffie sobered, noting the boldly-stamped letters also, boxed in by a thick, swarthy line. "It read urgent," he continued, shrugging. "So I brought it right over, otherwise it would have been left until the weather was cleared up, tomorrow maybe. I knew ya were here, so..."

"Thanks," she said, puzzled. Why would she have a letter now? Who would anyone need to contact her here? Wondering into the kitchen, Yuffie parked herself at the table as her thoughts raced on ahead of her. 

"You given your address to everyone here, kid?" Cid asked, following closely behind with Donny trailing behind him. The shorter man butted out his cigarette on an ashtray in the centre of the table, then leaned back on the counter, a bushy eyebrow raised.

The ninja frowned, choosing to disregard the comment. Instead, she overturned the damp and still unopened envelope in her grasp. She had looked over the casing on her way to her seat, but had found nothing more than five words: 'Miss Yuffie, Rocket Town; URGENT'. "Miss Yuffie?" she whispered, querying no one in particular. There was only one person she knew that still called her by that title, and that was Staniv. A family friend as well as advisor to her father, the fellow ninja had been the only one apart from her father who she'd told where she was. But why would he send her anything? She read the bolder word again, realizing that the only reason Staniv would send her a letter would be if something bad had happened...

Her face paled at the possible implications, and she bit her lip as she tore open the flimsy paper. Shera, who had been humming a small tune while arranging pastries on a tray, stopped her work when the girl entered the kitchen. She turned, seeing the girl pale visibly while she peeled open the envelope with shaking fingers.

For her part, the girl skimmed over the message, her frown immediately growing into a look of immediate worry as she continued. Clueless, she drafted over it again. It didn't tell her what she feared, but she dreaded there was something that it didn't tell. Something that it couldn't in such an insecure method of delivery. In disbelief at the blunt discretion of the letter, after finishing it a second time, she read it again, not able to make much sense out of the note.

"Strange," she muttered. "How did you get this?" 

Donny shrugged. "It's not well known here, because it ain't as common as PHS and all, but I'm the local Postmaster. When the occasion calls for it," he added.

"Oh." She fell silent, too worried at what the words meant to make any further comment.

"So... what does it say?" Taking note of the look of apprehension on the ninja's face, Cid leaned into the table and snatched away the sheet of waterlogged paper. Another lit cigar now hung out of the aviator's mouth as he muttered the content of the note aloud.

"Miss Yuffie," Cid began. "Wutai requires your immediate presence, and your safety. We await your arrival anxiously, as there are grave matters here that immediately await your return, and your authority. Do not travel alone. Hurry. Master Staniv." Cid turned to Yuffie, noting the date. He waved the paper in the air. "It was sent a day ago. What's this supposed to mean, anyway? It doesn't seem like much to fret over, except for the last bit. What could be so dangerous that you need to travel with an escort?"

The girl shrugged, her brown eyes troubled. Her usually happy facade was now sober. "I've got no idea. I've never been called home before, from anything. My father is usually aided by supervisors - Staniv included - and if he is bogged down, then they help him. But if..." her voice trailed off.

"But what?" This came from Cloud, who'd filtered in with the others, clustering around the table.

"_But_," Yuffie continued. "If my father is sick, or," she gulped, "indisposed, then I am required by law as my father's heir, to step in. My father's advisors cannot do anything without an order. If anything happened, they'd have no leader. My father's aides, as well as mine, cannot carry out any orders without our express permission." She rolled her eyes, divesting her opinion.

"Stupid custom," Barret agreed. "And you have no idea what this is about?"

She sighed. "None. But Master Staniv wouldn't call me home unless I was needed for something, and even then, if I was required, then Godo would write and use his seal instead." She pointed to the paper that Cid held. "It does not have my father's seal, or his signature. I wouldn't know anyway, nothing like this has ever happened before, remember?"

"You're sure?" 

She nodded. 

"Well why didn't this Staniv guy just call you on PHS?" Yuffie, used to dealing with her father and ministers through letters, though not of this nature, shrugged. 

"Let me guess," Cid piped up. "Another custom?"

"Yup." She frowned. 

"So they'll deal with weapons, materia, and anything of gain, but _not _with a global PHS system?"

Yuffie shrugged. "Wutai is a society of warriors so full of pride that they often see what they want as what they need. To them, protecting themselves with their overload of weapons and materia is a way to not only protect them, but keep them busy. It is a trade, not a custom." She paused, her eyes slowly drifting from Cid's eyes down to the note he held in his hand. She shook her head, frowning at the tone she had just taken. "Anyway, it's nothing of worth. I'd better get my gear ready. Cid is there any way I can get to Wutai today?"

The pilot scratched his head, pulling at a loose strap on his flying goggles. His tone was meeker, and his eyes curious as he spoke. "Well, the Highwind's out of the question, I suppose. My pilots are taking more building shipments to Reeve in Midgar from Mideel, and it's docking there overnight before heading to Junon to refuel. There's no chocobos to be caught in this weather, either. The car's out, and so is the ferry. About the only thing you'll manage in this weather is-" 

Yuffie snatched the circulating note back, placing it in her pocket. She raised a hand, halting the blabbering pilot with a wince. "So basically you're telling me that I'm gonna have to take the new skyway?"

Cid nodded, Yuffie and Cloud groaned. Barret, not one to be blind to the ninja's travel-sickness, swore, while Tifa placed a delicate gloved hand on her shoulder. Nanaki snorted.

"Oh great!" she moaned. "The sky-way is the only way?" 

Vincent, who had just crept in, nodded in concurrence. "Not with winds that big. At least the skycabs are grounded on wires."

"Wires. Thin metal ones supporting a hefty craft that travels thirty metres about ground. And above water." She gulped and ran a hand through her hair. There was no doubt she needed to get to Wutai as soon as she could, even if it meant travelling in less than pleasurable circumstances.

Shera smiled softly at the girl's worried expression. A thought occurred to her, and she turned toward the stove and opened a cupboard just above it. She pulled out a small white box, and whatever was inside rattle slightly as she placed it on the table in front of the girl.

"What's this?"

Shera laughed lightly. "Just the thing you need, dear. Travel sickness pills. I don't need them anymore, and today I think you'll need your head _and_ your stomach if matters are as they really sound." Then the woman frowned, and a motherly expression appeared almost instantly on her kind face. She pushed the item across the table and sat down in a spare seat in front of Yuffie. "And despite your customs, will you _please_ take a PHS with you?"

Yuffie allowed a grin to light up her face. "Of course!" she said, momentarily forgetting her worry. "Rules are made to be broken."

________________________

__

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, my first chapter done. This chapter may have been boring - and I don't for a moment suspect that it wasn't, lol. It will pipe up next chapter, I promise, and there'll be a little bit of action, drama, humour. etc. 

I'd like to know what you all think, so please review and comment on anything you think necessary: style, dialogue, characters, scenes, humour, drama, etc. Review if you think it's good, bad, shocking, okay, average, horrible, etc. ...

...BAH, you get the drift, lol. So please, just review anyway! ^_^

Thanks!


	2. So what if it's your materia!

****

By Word of Mouth, 

By Ealinesse 

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DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are not even in the story yet, though I do claim right to them when they pop up. 

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****

Chapter Two: To Cut Bait and Run...

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Reno strolled casually out the door as the cab moved into the stopover station, stretching his legs as various other passengers pushed past him, eager to leave the cramped confines of the small cabin. And with good reason, too. He bit back a smirk as a lady ran haphazardly past him, her hands over her mouth as she sailed toward the rest room on shaky legs. The ride hadn't been _that_ rough. 

He moved into a spare seat - child free, thankfully - and set his bag down beside him, assuring himself that it was safe from small, prying hands. He stretched in his seat and rubbed at his neck, realizing with relief that his headache had gone, though two hours in a tiny cab with little movement had rubbed his nerves raw, not to mention filled him with an overabundance of energy. The Turk ignored the dark clouds hanging overhead, instead focussing on the station before him. There was nothing much here, really, not many people around probably due to the weather: just a few food stands, and a couple of wayward attendants. Just the way he liked it. Peace and relaxation all the way. No kids. No bosses. 

Like he always did, he surveyed the people that he would most likely be travelling with as they moved into the area - for that few people, there really were. A few older women and what looked like a young couple. A young gentleman with what looked to be his sister, and nearby two hunched, elderly men that struggled to walk without their canes. To his left, was another girl curled up on the corner of a bench, and...

Reno halted his search, squinting to place the figure on the form. Through his glasses he took in the all-too familiar features. The short, brown hair that framed an almost elfish; long, lean legs, complete with leg brace; pert, cutesy nose that disappeared along with the ends of her eyebrows into a seemingly ever-present white bandanna. It was her alright, the Turk realized, all five-feet-six of her. He noticed that she was asleep, a white ticket draping languidly from her fingers.

Reno frowned and collected his bag, moving to stand in front of the girl. It wasn't necessarily the child he'd been looking to avoid since the last station, but he knew very well how annoying this one could be. There was little difference really, not when she got going.

As he stood an announcement rung out overhead, signaling a ten minute time-frame until his departure to Wutai. He groaned, snatching her ticket from between her limps fingers, sighing when it read exactly the same as his.

"Shit," he cursed, realizing that this had the potential to be worse than the other one.

***

Yuffie stirred, groaning softly as she rolled herself into a sitting position. Falling asleep hadn't been her intention, but the night before had been busy - and fun - even though she hadn't been drinking, though she would never admit that to Cid, who had since then not allowed her the luxury of falling asleep at all.

She checked her watch, sitting straighter. With only about ten minutes to departure it was time to think about boarding. The ninja grabbed for her bag, only then noticing that her ticket that had been in her hand before, was gone. Not seeing the figure that stood but a metre from her, she fumbled with her pockets and bag, clueless as to where the small slip of paper had gone.

"Looking for something?"

Yuffie jumped at the closeness of the voice, and looked to her left into a pair of uncannily familiar aquamarine eyes. She scowled, recognizing not only the owner of the face, but the expression of jubilant arrogance that he wore. The Turk. What was his name? Rude? No, that was the cueball. Reno! That was it!

"Give it back!" She jumped to her feet and reached for the ticket, but he moved too quickly, leaping to his feet and waving the object away, holding it above his head. "Reno! Give it back!"

His look of loftiness didn't waver. Nor did the height of his arm that was holding her ticket. He looked as if he would answer her for a moment, but changed his mind, shaking his head. Instead he asked, "Why are you going to Wutai?"

She snorted, making another hopeless grab for the elusive object. Why tell him? She wouldn't be surprised if he was a cause of the trouble. "It's my home, _Turkey_, I tend to live there. Family functions - something you wouldn't understand." It wasn't far from the truth. An easy lie. She narrowed her eyes. "Besides, I could ask you the same question."

Reno shook his head, ignoring her. This gave her more cause to pry. "Then why else would you be here? There's no departures for another two hours, and you'd have to be insane to stay out in this weather for any longer than two minutes. But with you, I'd not be surprised."

"I'm hurt," he drawled, putting a glove-clad hand to - in Yuffie's opinion - where his heart should have been. "Not like it's any of your business, but I'm not going to Wutai."

"Yeah? Well where're you going then?"

"Yassan. You can only get there through Wutai."

"Yassan?" she queried, naming the colony just North of the warrior settlement. It was a flawless lie, and he was right. It was the only way to get there, but she doubted he'd tell the truth for a even so much as a second. Especially to her. Yuffie tugged at her lip thoughtfully. "Forgive me if I don't buy it. Can't really picture you to be the farmer type, hanging out all day tending rice fields. Why there?"

The Turk scowled. This was getting him nowhere. "None of you business."

And it wasn't. But that didn't prevent her for being curious, never mind nosy. What would a Turk want in Wutai, anyway? Whatever it was, couldn't be good. She'd rather not have any assassinations or murders in her town, thank you very much. 

"Yeah, it _is _my business, Turkey," she said. "My father is the Lord of Wutai."

Reno rolled his Mako-enhanced eyes. "Your father, _not _you. Yassan…_ not_ Wutai." He paused, contemplating something. The thought got away, but he was still annoyed. He'd rather deal with that kid. At least it hadn't barraged him with constant questions, annoying as his humming was. "You ask a lot of questions, anyone ever tell you that?"

"Yeah, all the time, I don't let it get to me." Yuffie shrugged. "Why Yassan?" 

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Fine. I'll find out anyway, you know."

"You can try." He turned, walking away.

"Gawd. Stupid Turkey," she muttered as he skulked off. Pulling her bag onto her shoulders, Yuffie moved to follow, hurrying only when she realized that he still had her ticket.

"Hey!" The ninja shouted, her casual crawl quickly turning into a sprint as the redheaded man began to walk faster, fading into the crowd even as his loud laugh drifted through the throng of people.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Yuffie punched the headrest twice, plumping it up until it met her approval. When it didn't, no matter what way she bent, punched, or even pummeled it, she turned her head to the side, able to see clearly out of the window.

It was good to see the view for a change, she decided. Travel-sickness had more drawbacks than just being sick, and she had never really had the chance to take a good long look at the scenery. But Wutai was different. She knew every inch of her place and territory, and had explored it often enough. She could climb the cliffs there with her eyes closed.

For good measure she checked their distance to go on the timer ahead, realizing that if she leaned out of her seat and looked past the two controllers, that she could see the hazy coast to the south of the Wutai mountains in front of them. In about twenty minutes they would change direction and turn from the west due North, head straight over the mountain pass that was south of Wutai, and then go onward, directly to their destination.

As far as the weather went it had fined out dramatically, the rain halting over an hour ago and traversing immediately into blue sky. It was ironic, really, that she was now trapped inside when the weather was fine, even though she now had no desire or energy to run around. She was more worried about the note from Staniv. She sighed quietly, the noise hidden by the faint thrum of the engine above her. She took a quick look around the sky-cab, recognizing how well the new president of Shinra had done in such a short time. This sky-cab route, only one of many that now existed around the globe, had been inspired by those of its kind at the Gold Saucer, funnily enough from when Reeve had been deceiving them as the cat-and-mog duo, Cait Sith. 

Reeve, pressed into presidency more than voted in, seemed to be generally well-liked by the population not only around Midgar, but the rest of the world as well. It had been thanks to him, as well as AVALANCHE, that rebuilding the ruins, and scavenging the wreckage had been possible. And it was in that series of tasks, in their moment of need, that the people found him to believe in. 

Since then, the world had been strangely united, high in a strange kind of way, because they had cheated death once again in that they had beaten Armageddon. In the time since Midgar's fall - and part of its rebirth - new systems, plans and alliances had been drawn up, many new towns and colonies raised. It was strange, Yuffie thought, how such a scare could bring people - and places - together.

She should know; at least her and her father were talking now.

Rolling her head to the left Yuffie rubbed remnants of sleep out of her eyes, looking toward the back of the cable car. There weren't many people; just an odd bunch that had enough guts - or stupidity, she thought - to brave the storm raging in Rocket Town. At the end of the car was Reno, all six feet of him stretched out on the entire back row, his long suit-clad legs ending in heavy black boots that were slung carelessly over the side. His head rested on his balled up jacket, with an arm draped lazily over his torso. With his sunglasses perched low on his upturned nose and his fervent hair carelessly veiling most of his face, he looked to be asleep. 

She almost laughed, noticing that not one person sat within a two seat radius. 

Her thoughts turned mischievious as she saw what lay in the middle of the two rows. His bag – probably laden with materia and other things that would be best not left in the hands of such a man. Tempted by the possibilities of valuable items in the pack, she grinned. But it quickly faded as she thought of the matter currently at hand.

Whatever avaited her at home could not be good. As subtle as Staniv's writing was, such a note could only instill dread in her heart. She had so many questions that would have to wait to be answered, and all of them worried her. Was her father all right? Was he ill? Why had Staniv written her, and not Godo? Why had the letter not been officially sealed?

… And why could he not have told her what was wrong first off, so she didn't have to worry now over things that may not be?

She ran a hand through her closely cropped hair, readjusting her bandanna, frowning as she caught herself staring at the slumbering Turk as she came out of her daze. _'Just what is his business here anyway? I'll bet it's nothing peaceful. With them it never is.'_ Wutai - even Yassan - seemed too strange-a place for the Turk. She mused. He was probably just going there to visit Turtle's Paradise, where his most common interest could be fulfilled.

Tearing her eyes from Reno's still form, she fidgeted with her hands, recollecting the day the trio had turned up on AVALANCHE'S doorstep. _'Whatever remains of his soul lies in Midgar,'_ she thought.

Then she grinned. The young ninja remembered that day _very_ clearly. 

All they had wanted to do was help. Though Cloud - nor any of them - had accepted that at first. Into her mind popped the image of Cloud Strife, propelled into a rage at even the sight of them, busy yelling a various number of obscenities that even Cid whistled at. Barrett, not too happy either, had been too focussed on wrapping his arms about Reno's neck, reveling too much in the redhead's beetroot face to hear anything but the voice screaming at him to kill them in his head.

But the slums and the rest of Midgar had honestly needed the help. Any good leader would not have turned them down. And eventually, after a brief fistfight halted by Tifa and Elena, Cloud hadn't. Yuffie rubbed a hand over her face, remembering the tension. Though somehow Reno had managed to drag Cloud outside, slamming the door behind him and leaving the other two Turks behind in a stony silence, with six matching glares pinning them to the wall.

She shook her head, wondering just what the Mako-eyed man had said to the other out of their earshot. She winced. He had guts to even touch Cloud, she had to admit. But whatever had been said couldn't have been pretty. For when they both came back their eyes did not meet, but Cloud had - for some reason that eluded her - let them help. However grudgingly.

To be honest, in their work for that period of time Yuffie couldn't fault them. She remembered each of them clearing the rubble while searching for survivors - or bodies - hastily but methodically. Often times, even the blonde haired Elena was free of complaints, while Reno was neither snide _or_ sarcastic; a deft accomplishment for him, the ninja noted. Rude, however normally silent, was possibly even more so. That whole time, they worked together as the team they were. Helping people, carting food, digging rubble. And that whole time, it seemed that they had been searching for something. Something that they never found.

She shook her head in amazement. Only once did she recall fighting with Reno...once in almost a half year, and in almost that entire time Cloud and Reno had said barely more than a word to one another, and only then they had been brief, and businesslike. Only what was necessary. Apart from that, they'd spent not another moment together.

Yuffie paled remembering the grizzly work, and how glad she'd been to see the end of it. One day, she remembered, it had all stopped, and the Turks, as silently as they'd come, had disappeared. They hadn't found what they'd been looking for, of that she was certain. But then again, they weren't the only ones who had lost.

Since then...? Yuffie had found herself travelling around, strangely enough, by herself. Paying the occasional visit to her father and the others the crew had grown apart slightly over the past three years. Cid and Shera's wedding was perhaps the first time they'd all been together since the recovery of Midgar. It had been good to see them again, she thought, but everyone seemed to have their own responsibilities now; their own reasons to stay away; their own demons. But they were still friends, and that would never change after all they had been through together.

Most of them had been employed by Reeve in the end, and though she did the odd job or two for him, she had mainly stayed out of it. The Turks, too, had had a turnaround. Of course, they were now in a different division of the new Shinra. Still covert, but a lot more clean and official. Official missions, and the like.

Realising how depressing her thoughts had become, she stopped, instead switching her mind to that of her father. Meteor had been a close-call for all of them. She'd never really been that close to Godo as a child, but just recently they'd found common ground. Her mother, of whom she'd never known, had even in her untimely death kept her family apart. And, she smirked, her father wasn't getting any older. Extraordinarily, she apprehended that she'd grown up...or something.

She couldn't help worrying though, but nothing could be done until she arrived. Nothing would get hee anywhere right now, but this sky-cab. Thoughts of that nature, would just not do. Not when time was the key, not worry.

...But there was one thing that was still annoying her. 

Yuffie stood, ignoring the glare the controlling guard sent her, and made her way to the end of the row of seats. She seated herself in the row before Reno, leaning back against the right-hand window, her bag crammed tightly in the gap between seats. She doubted his motives for going to Wutai, and though his excuse for coming here was valid enough, the fact of whether it was the truth was another matter entirely. It was something she wanted to ask him about, though she doubted she'd ever get a straight answer from someone as crooked as him.

"Hey, Turkey." He made no move. "Reno, wake up, I wanna ask you something." She leaned halfway over the seat and poked him in the shoulder. He grunted a little, but other than that fell still, his flaming hair falling further over his black glasses.

After a mere second of silence, a thought occurred to her. Temptation reared its ugly head as she stared longingly at his pack on the ground. A faint glow cast itself out of the top of the drawstring pack; a faint _green_ glow, and one that she easily recognized. She called his name again and grinned when she received no answer.

__

'...And one for the road,' she thought as silently - more stealthily than she'd had to practice in a long time - she leaned forward and grasped the string of the bag. After unraveling the knots Yuffie finally managed to squeeze her hand into the bag, closing her fist around the unnaturally warm Materia. _'Fire,'_ she thought as she tried to lift it out. _'Quite powerful, too,'_ she ascertained. 

She pursed her lips as she concentrated on wriggling the small rock free.

In fact, Yuffie was so concentrated on getting the Materia from the bag that she didn't notice Reno's slow grin. Nor did she notice him lift his arm until it was too late. All she saw was the glowing ball of soon-to-be money. Another reason why she jumped so damned high when he spoke.

"Don't even think about it."

The girl cursed, moving back to her chair. Looking around she thankfully noticed that no one had seen her leap so high into the air. She regained her composure quite quickly and pulled her hand back, lifting her chin in the air in defiance.

Reno pushed his sunglasses up over his head, finding no need for them in the dull cabin. He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were supposed to be a thief, not an amateur."

Yuffie poked out her tongue, her pale face still quite red. "Takes one to know one." She turned to his materia, pointing into his bag as another tactic occurred to her. "Why would you ever need Fire Materia - or any materia - in a place like Yassan?" Yuffie leered. "Unless of course you're not going there for peaceful means."

His steady aquamarine glare matched hers, his lie an easy and practiced cover up. "Ooh, aren't we playing the detective today. Look, brat, I'm a Turk. Believe it or not, people are still out to get us. I'd prefer to live past twenty-five. These, strangely enough, help." Reno pointed to the materia in his bag and then to his nightstick, which was holstered at his hip.

She fell silent, wondering why he felt the need to cover everything up. No one needed materia for peace. Or to enforce peace. E_specially_ not Reno.

Then she thought for a second, remembering what he'd said. He was only twenty-five? She counted back. He must have been at least twenty-two when they'd seen him the first time. The pale ninja frowned, biting a well-chewed finger nail. Only twenty-two? He'd always seemed much older to her. Not _looked_ older, as such, she corrected herself, but more in the way he held himself; the hard look in his eyes that set off a sharply angled face; the steep cheekbones, and the handsome trademark grin, that more often than not meant trouble. She had never thought about it before, but he was only a year older than Cloud. Only five-or-so years older than her.

She scowled. _'Why am I even thinking about this!'_

Shrugging off the thought she ignored the smirk that he directed towards her, and faced the window. They had outrun the northwest winds and bad weather that had traced along the coastal beaches before Rocket Town, and since then had encountered only fine weather. _'Thank Leviathon,'_ thought Yuffie, remembering how much the small carriage had rocked upon leaving Rocket Town, buffeted with strong winds like breath to a sail. Even with the pills that Shera had given her she'd struggled to keep her breakfast down.

Now, however, the small air-car ran smoothly along it's twin, rail-like cables, it's small propellers buzzing lightly as they continued to push them calmly along. They were off the sea now, but only just. If she pressed her cheek against the cool glass and looked forward, it was easy enough to see the golden sands against the shallow waters of her home's coastline. They were only just heading over the Southern Pass; that left about another fifteen more minutes over the main part of the mountains, and then just under a half hour until they reached home...

...Reached her father.

Yuffie stretched and cracked her knuckles, pulling the notes from inside her pocket. She was about to unfold it and read the already-known contents, when a long arm snaked out over the seat, ripping her from her thoughts and taking the note.

She scowled. "Turkey, will you _stop_ doing that?" She made a grasp for the note, which he held just out of her reach. It was awkward trying to lean over the seats without losing your balance.

"Will you stop call me that damned name?" Reno leaned back casually, unfolding the note while lying back down. He avoided another swipe.

Yuffie was just about to retort, when a large jolt shuddered along the cable, and she grabbed her seat in a white-knuckled death grip. The cable-car screeched somehow, and swung wildly before settling down. Over a few shrieks and the sound of her own heart, she heard a loud 'oof!' behind her, and when she was sure she was stable, she turned around. The ninja laughed, barely able to breathe as her mirth got hold of her. What she had wished had come true, though belatedly.

"What the hell was that?" Reno grunted out from between the rows of seats. So laxly positioned before, his comfort had been forsaken for gravity, and he had been thrown forward when the car moved, rolling into the cramped footrest as the base of his seat.

To Yuffie it was a comforting sight, seeing the usually coolly composed Turk in a state of utter disarray. She giggled as he pulled his glasses back into their usual post and tried to gain his feet. Her face fell flat, however, as another strong vibration tore through the cabin, and Reno lost his footing, falling sideways and hitting his head against the hard wooden handle of the left-hand seat. As the cab creaked to a halt, so did he.

This time her face paled. This was supposed to be a smooth ride! What was going on!

Feeling the resonance stop finally after both impacts, the young ninja stood, not trustworthy to let go of the handrails. She leaned over and tapped the fallen Turk with the hand as he gingerly sat up.

"Reno?" A groan. "Hey Turkey..."

At first he didn't answer, but then groaned again, looking up with a hand to his head into Yuffie's eyes. His own aquamarine depths were glazed with slight shock, and he seemed a little dazed. "Thought you agreed to stop calling me that, Brat?"

She shook her head, no longer worried for him, but for the circumstance. "Actually," she replied, "I didn't _get_ to say anything." She watched as he stood, swaying ever-so-slightly before straightening fully, a hard look entering his eyes and covering up any pain he would have previously showed. 

"You all right?"

"Perfect." He turned to face the guard at the front, wincing as his vision blurred. Pushing back the headache that had returned to the back of his mind, he scowled, more than a little angry at being thrown around like a rag doll on a supposedly flawless ride

"What the hell's going on?" he called to the two men at the front of the cabin.

The man shrugged in thoughtless abandon and turned to his partner, who stood pushing buttons on a large computer console. The guy, short, complete with glasses and a receding hairline that was running faster than this sky-cab was frantically reaching to and fro, stunted arms flying across the control panel. The one whom Reno had spoken to whispered something, pointing to the panel. The other shrugged and shook his head uselessly.

Even as a Turk, he'd mastered the art of lipreading. And though they were talking hurriedly, mumbling something shocking, he caught the two words that were important; something about engines and power. 

__

'The engines? Power?' The redheaded Turk switched his gaze to the window, noticing only now that the faint vibration that ran with the motor through the roof and floor of the small cab had stopped. Checking over the rotorblades on each side he noticed each were crawling to a decided halt. Along the cable nothing was moving, and in the air the small box was at the helpless mercy of whatever had stopped it. An ungainly situation, which left only one question. 

What had just happened?

Someone shrieked, while shrill screams seemed intent on popping his eardrums. His headache that had gone with his hangover, was back with a vengeance. Somewhat frustrated, the Turk pushed his way past the panicky passengers to the guards, more than eager to char the uncouth souls that got in his way. Yuffie, eager to get off the oversized swing, followed closely behind him before the waves of people caught her up.

Reno sighed as he moved to the front, his face an expression of doubt and impatience. "Okay, why are we not moving?"

The small man bustled up his feathers, not eager to be pushed around, nor happy that his control was being questioned. He looked Reno up and down like some filthy object, snorting at the untucked shirt, and the astray hair. What he didn't realize however, was that Reno's attitude and wit were as sharp as ever and arsenic was always keen to lace his words with poison.

"Everything is under control, sir. I suggest you take your seat. We will soon have things under control."

Yuffie studied them closely, agreeing unconsciously with Reno, thinking them lucky to have even half a brain between the both of them. It was painfully obvious that despite their strict tone and 'reassuring' words, that control was far from their reach, and behind their narrowed eyes fear was bubbling quickly to the surface. They truly had no idea what was going on.

Reno voiced her concerns.

"Oh bullshit," Reno snapped, pointing to Yuffie. "Even she can see your incompetence. You were trained to supervise and not to run these systems. Right?" Yuffie snorted, ignoring Reno's insult, and realizing that in everything else, the Turk was quite right. The random pushing of buttons and the self-important act did not fool the girl, nor many of the other hectic passengers. 

If possible the man puffed up his chest further, drawing himself up to his full five feet. The man to his left stepped forward, bristling with disdain.

"And just who the hell are you? Mr Personality?" The words reeked of superiority.

__

'Bad move, buddy,' Yuffie thought as Reno moved to stand toe-to-toe with the shorter man. She could only watch as he lifted him up easily by the scruff of his starched shirt, dragging his feet off the ground and the frightened eyes to his level, effortlessly.

"I'll tell you exactly who I am," Reno snarled. With his free hand, he pulled out his nightstick and charged it up with the flick of a switch. As he placed it up in direct view of the man's sight electricity sparked along the end, catching him at a low charge on the tip of his nose. "I'm someone who could very easily end your miserable life right here and now." He dropped the man to the floor, who was too shocked to move.

"... But I won't," he added snidely, "because I've got better things to do than deal with egotistical assholes like you, and I'd rather get out of here today. So," he added, pulling out his ID badge that Reeve had given him (for good reason), "will you just shut the fuck up and tell me what the hell is going on?"

The man peered wide-eyed at the vivid new Shinra logo emblazoned on the top-left of the badge, and then at the photo, and finally the details. Catching sight of the brilliant cerulean eyes in the photo, he looked up, recognizing the glowing colour for what it really was: the result of a Mako infusion. "… You're Shinra."

Reno laughed, more out of exasperation and sarcasm than real humour. "Very clever. But, damn it all to hell, will you just answer my first question?" 

Resigned, the shorter man sighed. He was going nowhere fast, and perhaps this could turn out to be a good thing after all. "We don't know."

"This thing's been running for six months," the other one cut in. "But nothing like this has happened before. The bloody thing's just stopped, and it ain't even going uphill. There's no weather to have done this, and no electrical storms. The system _is_ online because it's a global operations system, but it's like the mains to our individual power has been severed somewhere and we're simply not moving. I just can't figure it."

Reno frowned, ducking his head. This didn't make sense. He'd never heard of any problems with any of the skycabs before. Why did it have to happen now?

Just as Reno lowered his head, Yuffie turned to her left, exasperated. Why did she always have luck like this!

It was then she noticed it. Only there for the smallest fraction of time, she couldn't help but freeze as the flicker of red and black moved over the small window down the back of the cabin. She blinked, closing her eyes and shaking her head as if getting rid of a bad image. When she opened her eyes and saw it again, she knew she wasn't dreaming. 

"Uh, Reno?" Yuffie pulled at the Turk's arm, shaking him. The skycabs were universally blue, and this one was no different. And if that's what she thought it was, then… 

He shrugged her off, too concentrated on finding and solving the problem so he could get on with his mission. She tried again, aiming a vicious kick to the Turk's shins. "Reno!"

It worked. In between all the hopping and cursing, she manages to get a response. "What!"

"Red Dragon."

He frowned and shook his head, waving her idea off. _'What the hell is she on about. There's no Red Dragons in these parts.' _He turned back to the controllers, who were again levelling him with temperamental glares. "So-"

"Turkey, listen to me!"

"Way ahead of ya, Yuffie, I've now finished listening to you."

She growled, shaking her head. She'd seen something, she knew it. And it had been big. _Really_ big, and that was only part of it. Dragging the Turk in a half circle, she could only point as a flick of something red swished across the windscreen. Though she was the only one of the two to see it, she could tell that Reno was merely being ignorant.

"Look, Yuffie. I know you're-"

Suddenly, screams tore through the early afternoon air as the cab groaned and shook violently. Reno started, halfway through turning back to the two men on the console, unsure what was going on. Even as he watched he saw the cable only a metre in front of them quiver violently. Then, he caught a glimpse of colour. Red. Then something larger - an extension of some kind: scales, and a tail attached to a body and a large black set of hind claws.

"Shit," Reno swore. So the brat was right. But what did they do now?

Yuffie nodded in dumb agreement, not entirely keen to be right about such a discovery. "What is a Red Dragon doing near Wutai?" she muttered half to herself. In answer Reno merely shrugged, while the shrieks of the passengers continued to drown out most of what they said. 

"They only live in caves," she continued, "and the only caverns large enough to house them are to the South of the mountains here, not the North. Why-"

A sudden wave of panic rose again through the small cabin as the dragon raised a large paw, pounding it hard against the steel construct. When the cabin proceeded to stay intact however, the dragon roared, pumping its wings and flying with minimal effort to the top of the cab. When no sound resumed and further action was nil, everyone fell into an eerie silence, too shocked to move, awaiting the next attack. 

They didn't have to wait long. They felt it land; heavy and full of a powerful impact. The cabin rocked at the mercy of the force on top, struggling to compensate for the sudden weight of the dragon. All too soon the skycab began swinging with the momentum, rocking painfully from side-to-side even as the passengers scrambled to stay upright on knees weak with terror. If Yuffie hadn't been so focussed on the large, jagged scars that suddenly appeared on the roof of the cabin, she would have been sick with the disturbing motion of the cabin.

When another wave rocked the cabin, a chorus of screams rose up, covering the voices that had only now begun to drown out. When a second set of claw marks appeared on the roof, Yuffie paled. She knew what it was going for, and if it succeeded, it wasn't going to be pretty. 

"Th-the cables!" one of the controller's whispered in shock from the floor.

"Holy save us!"

"What's the maximum load on these things?" Reno called over the disquiet.

"T-two tonnes."

"Shit! That thing weighs more than that by itself!"

Under the pressure of another blow the sky-cab lurched, groaning under the immense weight. To keep herself upright Yuffie grabbed out at a chair, only to have it come loose in her grip. Before she could fall, however, a strong hand gripped her shoulder and prevented her from tumbling down with the wayward piece of furniture, into the stampede of terrified passengers beyond. 

She turned to Reno, question in her eyes.

"We need to do something."

"Like what?"

Reno thought hard, trying desperately to avoid the first two answers that popped into his head. Right now, the emergency exits weren't of any use to them – not thirty metres above the ground. He'd rather take on the dragon than the height. He just had to face the fact that it wasn't going to leave them alone until it had finished doing whatever it was doing. And by the looks of things, the end result of that wasn't going to be pretty. 

The Turk winced as Yuffie noticed the look in his eyes. He shrugged and cast a quick glance to the roof. "We need to kill it."

"But how? The only way to get to it safely is to climb onto the roof through that hatch at the end and deal with it that way. And that's just crazy! You'd probably fall to your death before you even got close. Or you'd get slashed to pieces with those poisonous claws, or bitten…"

Reno fixed Yuffie with a blunt look, who in return could not hide her shock.

"You're kidding."

"You got any better ideas?"

"I-"

Another shudder went through the cable, and Reno scowled. "We need to do something before it drops us from here, and it may not be the most appealing option, but it gives us the best chance. The frame of this cab might be able to take the fall, but there's no way we can guarantee our own safety. Killing it is about the only way. At least then, perhaps it will stop focussing on the cables and their clamps."

Yuffie knew he was right. She knew it without doubt, and that it was their best chance. But _never_ had she seen someone go up against a Red Dragon alone. You either had to be incredibly stupid, incredibly crazy, and even though she knew Reno lacked none of those qualities, it was still going to be dangerous. The odds would be better with two.

For a moment, when the idea hit her, she thought about going up there. She really did. But as soon as it came to her, she knew that it wouldn't be possible. Even if two people were ideal, there was no way there'd be enough room up there to even move. And with the dragon on the roof the odds of manoeuvring amiably – especially thirty metres above the ground – were slim. Even for one man. Better to keep one person up top, and then another person down below to watch things here, and then, as a last resort, that person could try defeat the monster... 

If all else failed.

Yuffie bit her lip, staring Reno in the eye. She wasn't going to tell him that what he was doing was stupid – from the look in his eyes there was no doubt that he already knew that. However she was surprised that he was even considering doing it all himself in the first place. 

"What do ya want me to do?" she asked.

Reno looked back to the panicking passengers as they hugged, clawed, scraped and screamed at each other, too frightened to be of any use. He snorted. "Babysit."

She winced. "Keep an eye on 'em?" A crooked grin found its way onto her face. "Can't I just take the dragon?"

The Turk smirked and began to head down the back of the cabin. When there he grabbed his bag, pulling out a few select orbs of materia and then dumping the weighty item back to the ground. He didn't seem to care that most of it spilt on the ground. He unhooked his nightstick from his belt, equipping various spheres of the glowing stones to his weapon.

When he was done Reno eyed the throngs of panicked passengers only briefly before shaking his head, returning his gaze to Yuffie. "Try to keep them still, huh? Last thing I want is to be spread all about Wutai. Kissing the dirt from this height isn't exactly my idea of fun."

Yuffie bit back a grimace, trying to keep the look of apprehension from her eyes. "Gawd, don't make me even think about it."

He grinned and turned to leave, pulling the rest of the hatch open easily. Perching himself on the back of the seat he tried desperately not to think of where - or what - he was about to fight. It wasn't like he was scared - he'd hung out of helicopters much higher than this. But had he ever hung out of a helicopter with a Red Dragon breathing down his neck?

No. He didn't think so.

Reno turned to Yuffie. "Good luck, brat."

She snorted, shocked for a change that in the minor insult there was a brief show of support. Yuffie offered a mock Shinra salute, her puzzlement belying her expression. He was actually going to help someone other than himself? _'Then what was he doing in Midgar? He helped there,'_ a voice chastised her. Pushing aside the smart tone that accompanied the little voice in her head, she rolled her eyes. 

"You too," she replied. "You're the one who's gonna get his ass kicked by dragon-breath out there. I've only got to deal with these guys." 

"My point exactly." 

As Reno turned to leave through the hatch, Yuffie placed a hand on her hip, the casual grin on her face sobering even as she tried to make herself look less tense. "Hey, Reno?"

He faced her, his azure eyes curious. "Yeah?"

"Don't get in too much trouble, huh? The last thing I want to have to do is carry your stinking carcass back home and explain to Elena what happened."

He hadn't expected that. "Tch, that's what Rude said, and look what's happening now..."

The ninja only nodded and proceeded to turn to the crowd, dissolved into the throbbing mass in a matter of moments. Reno pulled himself through the gap, catching sight of a large rear-end tail as the dragon continued to tear frantically at the top of the cab. The controller was right, it _had_ been going for the cables; the twin engines at the front were now no more than a twisted pile of metal.

Standing slowly Reno went against proper tradition and looked down. The mountains weren't as far away as he'd first thought - only about twenty metres - though still a great deal higher than he would have liked. Just in front of them was the mountain pass, and directly beneath them were small, uneven plains, separated by the sloping cliffs hills that were divided by the mountain path. It's bridge was only a few hundred metres in front of them, while the trail that they were scaling lay just to their left. They were luckier than they could have been, he realized. There was not such a large drop as there should have been, but it was still enough to hurt, and hurt a lot.

As he gained his balance he looked back up. The dragon had yet to notice him, and before it could, he closed his aquamarine eyes, placing his weapon in his hand and summoning a Protect spell that he'd had for years. Feeling the tingling wave of the spell wash over him, he quickly cast another one – this time offensive.

He only hoped like hell it would work.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Yuffie clenched her fists, screaming all the curses she could think of in frustration. Nothing had worked. The stupid people just didn't get the picture. If the dragon so much as snipped a cable they were gone! Didn't they understand that? Done, finished, kapoot! "Or more like splat," she muttered.

She had tried pushing the people back into their seats, tried getting the controllers to help her, tried screaming at them, but her half-hearted bellow was nothing compared to the soprano bitch that insisted on drowning everyone out next to her. Reno was right: the dragon would have been easier.

As she was standing there, something rolled across her foot, putting a mild pressure on her shoe. She looked down, ready to kick whatever it was away, but stopped dead when the familiar item revealed its identity. Materia; spells; power. She didn't necessarily have the right ones, but Reno might… this particular one was his from out of the contents of his spilt bag, and although that one wasn't of any use, it didn't mean his other ones weren't.

Bolting past the useless swarm of imbeciles the ninja crouched by Reno's bag, surprised by the selection there was as she rummaged through the pack. She hurriedly picked up every one she could get her hands on, checking them for strength and possibilities. She grabbed at a small pink orb that pulsed longingly, hoping it would work not matter how weak it was. Not wasting the time to place it in her weapon she sat back, whispering the words required to make the Manipulate spell work. 

It didn't. Instead of causing all motion to cease, the waves of magic merely washed over the crowd in a brief flurry of pink fire before dissipating seconds later. Cursing, Yuffie shoved it into her pocket instead of his bag and scavenged for more. Finally she discovered a powerful Seal Materia - one with the perfect spell on it - and cast it on the mass of wavering people. She crossed her fingers as a wave of green fire pulsed from the emerald stone, hoping it would shut them up - she was starting to get a bitch of a headache. 

Almost instantaneously the peoples' voices droned as one into a variety of yawns and groans. Muttering to one another they issued a number of half-formed complaints, before some pulled themselves wearily into seats, while others collapsed slowly to the floor, stretching lazily as their knees gave out and their eyes slipped closed. 

Then all was silent.

"Sleeping like babies." Yuffie grinned, pleased with her work. Nothing would wake them up until the spell wore off – and by the strength of the Materia in question, she knew that wouldn't be soon. A sudden thought occurred to her and she pocketed that Materia too, thinking it handy. "Much better," the ninja murmured, and continued to scavenge through Reno's available bag, deciding a spring clean was in order. There was no way he'd ever need that much materia.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Shit!" Reno yelled as he ducked, dropping his nightstick from his hand as a sharp claw flew at him. Falling back, he rolled to the left as the dragon roared, swearing heavily as the weapon bounced lightly across the roof before bounding off the edge of the cabin to the ground far below. Instead of catching him across the ribs the blow scraped across his right shoulder, drawing three long, parallel lines of blood across his white shirt. Wincing, he ignored the pain. It was just a scratch. What was another ruined shirt to add to the never-ending pile? 

It was more the possibility of poison that worried him.

Reno shook the thought off and ducked under the dragon's open wing so he could get behind it, casting another Ice3 spell as he deigned to use his much smaller size to his advantage. He used more effort this time, strengthening his will on the Materia and focussing hard on the image of the dragon in his mind's eye. The dragon roared as the strong spell closed around it, it's large jaws open in a soon-silent cry as it froze momentarily. 

This time the spell held longer than the last one, and when it broke away into large chunks of shattered ice the dragon shuddered and swayed before standing fully upright again. Reno almost grinned with the satisfaction of its pain. It was weakening…

But then again, so was he.

Too focussed on the reaction of the dragon to his spell, Reno didn't see the tail propelling toward him until it was too late. Reno yelped in pain as the dragon hit his kneecap directly in a powerful blow designed to beat the opponent back into a corner – or in his case, the edge. Feeling bones and cartilage groan in protest, the Turk couldn't stop his knee from collapsing under him as he unconsciously staggered backward, struggling to get his body out of the way of a second strike. He took a strained step backward, then another as the tail loomed menacingly before him.

It was one step too many.

It would have been fine had he taken a step on his unhurt leg, but that wasn't the case. As he moved backward he judged his knee to be stronger than it really was. Still recovering from the shock of the blow he failed to compensate his balance as his knee again gave out on him, and he felt himself tilting dangerously backward. He felt his heels find nothing but thin air, and all-too fast Reno found his feet falling into nothingness, followed very quickly by the rest of his body…

...Until his flailing arms caught on something, halting his fall. As his hands caught on the cables Reno couldn't prevent the momentum of his lower body from slamming him into something very solid. The sound of shattering glass was heard as the front-screen window of the skycab splintered into small flakes in front of him, littering the air and the sky with debris. Reno winced as the numerous shards flew past him as his shoulders screamed in protest from the sudden, unexpected pressure. His hands struggled to keep hold on the biting cable wire, and although he knew he was now a sitting duck, he realized that the dragon had lost its focus on him for but a moment.

Ignoring the cramp in his arms he looked up, seeing the large, hunched figure of the dragon bent over the wire supports. Reno exhaled briefly in relief as his heart felt like it would pound out of his chest. His injured shoulder twinged with fresh pain, and the Turk groaned, straining to pull himself up with his weakened arm.

"Why do I always end up doing stuff like this!"

"What the... Reno?" Hearing the voice Yuffie clamoured to the front of the cab, seeing the long suited legs dangling in mid-air. She wrinkled up her face, trying to see past the glaring sun. "What the hell are you doing out there!"

Reno grunted, scowling. "Who the fuck else would be stupid enough to fall off the side! Will you quit stealing my materia - and don't say that you're not - and give me a hand!"

Yuffie smirked, pocketing the last of his materia as he looked briefly away, and leaned out the bulbous front bumper of the cab to grab the Turk's legs. "How the hell are you gonna get in here?" she muttered, straining to find the strength to pull him in.

__

'What is she trying to do?' he thought as his grip began to slip from the sudden pressure. "Let me go!" he said in a strained voice.

"What?" she yelled as the dragon roar drowned out whatever he had said.

Reno winced as a piece of large metal flew past him, barely missing his injured shoulder as the dragon threw pieces of torn shrapnel left and right off the roof. "Just get out of the damned road!" he yelled. Not waiting for a reply or even a confirmation of his words Reno began to swing himself slightly, his arms turning to jelly as he let go and slipped rather easliy into the inside of the cabin. He landed hard, falling to his hands and knees as the cab shuddered with the impact. He winced as small shards of shattered glass bit into his hands.

"God, Reno! Lose some weight!" Yuffie bit out as she stumbled, trying not to trip over the people as they rolled around in their seats and the aisle.

He ignored her, raising an eyebrow at the people that littered the ground. She made no comment, only shrugged with an impish grin. Switching his mind to the issue at hand he thought hard as the cab trembled horribly and the sound of metal being shredded squawked tore through the air. None of the spells he had equipped were strong enough, and he had little time to get more. If only he had something that he could throw that was strong enough. It had flown at him from the air countless times, and all he needed was something that was sharp enough, and mobile enough. Something that had enough distance on it that it could clip the dragon's wing and fell it in mid air, saving them a lot of pain and effort...

He looked to Yuffie, who was eyeing him suspiciously.

"What!"

"Brat, you have a shuriken! Give me your weapon, quick!"

"What?" She took a step backward, shaking her head emphatically. Her hand went protectively to her belt, where her weapon of choice was attached. "No way!" 

Getting to his feet slowly, Reno flinched as his knees cracked, the one that had taken the blow still shaky. He pushed the pain to the back of his mind – there would be time for that later, one way or the other. 

"Look, we need to cripple it or something. I've only been able to get nearly it twice, and the spells weren't strong enough. The last time I tried, I got this," Reno gestured to his shoulder, "and this." He tapped his knee, wincing. "If we clip it's wing, it can't fly. And for the past ten minutes that's pretty much all it's been doing. I can't get close enough," he repeated, "and I don't _want_ to have to get close enough to get my head bitten off. So what do ya say?"

"I-"

A large jolt - larger by far than all the others - caused the cab to swing wildly and Reno staggered, his sore leg collapsing under him. Yuffie, scrambling for hold on the side of a seat, tripped on a lax figure and slid inelegantly backward as the cab was hit yet again by the momentum of the dragon, which had seemingly, after focussing intently on the cables for a while, again taken to the air. 

After the shaking stopped the sky-cab finally came to rest on more of an angle than it had been on before. Another hit, and the small tilt increased.

"Shit! The supports!" Reno cursed, diving past Yuffie as the front end of the cabin began to give way. With a groan the cabin sunk, nearly slipping off it's supporting cables. "It's taken one of them out!" Whipping Yuffie's Conformer off her belt as she scrambled back, he flew over to the hatch as fast as his sore leg would take him, scrambling up the side and out onto the swaying roof. He was halfway out when a voice behind him gave him cause to turn around.

"Wait!" 

Reno turned, impatient, his sharp jaw tight with tense muscles. "What!"

"You don't even know how to throw it!"

"Well you're not going to do anything, are you?"

"Actually," she said. "I've got a better idea." 

And she did. She grinned, while he remained dubious. Quite understandably, she thought. It wasn't often you got to use a Turk for bait, after all.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Reno cursed at the dragon as it flew at him again, ducking another swipe when it passed overhead of him. He spun to face it as fast as he could considering the new angle of the roof, and could only just avoid another swipe as it took to flying over him tauntingly. For something so large it was quite dextrous, and relatively agile. He had to strain not to rock the roof any more than was necessary as the weakened strut continued to balance precariously on its one remaining wire.

"Anytime now would be good, Yuffie," he bit out. When there was no reply, he winced. "Hey brat! Hurry up!"

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying! I'm still trying to find the right one! Why you need so much materia is beyond me!"

"Hurry. _Up_." The dragon, riled at the words being yelled by Reno and the thief took off into the air again, this time from behind him. It pumped its bulbous red wings heavily, chopping the air with a vicious ferocity as it swooped in a broad ark above his head. Stepping back as far as he dared, Reno crouched, ready to dive either way as it began to speed forward again. The heavily sloping roof of the cabin didn't help him keep his balance, nor did his shoulder or weakened knee. One move too far and he was a goner, that was for sure. He just hoped he could judge this right without falling off the edge.

As the dragon began to dive from a greater height than it had previously been to, it howled in a loud, piercing shriek that echoed sharply throughout the air. Stooping and pressing himself flat against the roof, Reno only just managed to lunge forward in time to avoid the long claws that were aimed for his head. Instead of hitting him, the claws dragged heavily along the top of the flimsy and impaired remaining support structure. Reno shuddered at the near miss, scrambling to the other end of the cabin, not sure how much more weight the feeble support could take.

As the red beast circled once more overhead, the Turk only just heard Yuffie's warning from what seemed like miles off. 

Not wasting any time Reno continued to stay flattened to the ground as Yuffie launched the shuriken out of the hatch and into the air with practised ease. As he looked up he watched as the sunlight glinted off her crimson weapon with a dangerous light as it spiralled toward the creature in a deadly arc. The dragon easily dodged the first shot, not compensating for the fact that it would come back to haunt it in the end. Obviously, it had never dealt with a shuriken before.

With its back turned, the dragon didn't notice as the weapon curved at its zenith in the air, before turning around and heading straight back to whence it came.

The shot was as accurate as Reno had ever seen, which was no less than Yuffie had expected. He could only stare in blind disbelief as the shuriken disappeared behind the figure of the dragon for but a moment, before it emerged in a bloody haze from through its pumping wing - as dead-centre as was possible for such an agile target. As if it had been hit with a fatal deathblow, the dragon screeched hauntingly, vocalising its pain for all to hear as it began to plummet to the ground, unable to support itself in the air with only one functioning pinion. The wounded wing flailed uselessly by its side, weak and defenceless.

As it began to fall Reno felt a smile of satisfaction creep across his face, and finally he found himself able to stand freely for the first time since this had all begun, not having to worry about being clawed in the back.

… That was, until the growing shadow fell across the tattered remains of the roof, blinking out the sun and causing a doomful darkness in the middle of the day.

Reno felt a pool of dread sink to the bottom of his gut as he looked up, only now realizing the path that the wounded dragon was taking. He watched as it spiralled for a moment directly above them, clawing and scrambling at the unforgiving air, struggling to find purchase on anything it could get its hands on. 

Unable to get to the hatch in time to avoid the costly blow he knew was coming, Reno dived out of the way of the falling monster to the far end of the cabin, only just managing to see Yuffie disappear back into the hatch from out of the corner of his eye. As a last resort Reno grabbed onto an offshoot of metal with all the strength he could muster and looked up one last time before the dragon made impact.

The shock of the blow was as disastrous as he could have imagined. As the large dragon made contact with the skycab, its increased weight and momentum caused the cabin to lurch and screech with protest to the sudden extra mass. With only one out of two cable supports remaining, and a weakened structure, the cabin's perilous hold on its lifeline bent, then snapped completely. For one frightfully still moment the car seemed to hover in mid air, on the brink of tragedy, before, against the wishes of all on board, beginning its all too fast drop to the ground far below.

As the countdown until impact ticked by, Reno thought of every possible curse word he'd ever heard of, but none seemed obscene enough to fit the situation. Holding onto the roof with a white-knuckled grip he couldn't help but grit his teeth and remember the words Rude had scrawled onto his mission briefing, wondering not for the first time why it was always him out of the three who seemed to get into the most trouble.

Then, almost before Reno could allow himself a second thought, the cabin slammed flat and hard into the ground below. Dust blossomed around the fallen cabin in a bloom on dirt and debris, absorbing the form of the blue carriage and the two figures on top of it before all fell eerily silent.

~*~*~*~*~*~

__

NOTE: _Okay, the end to my second chapter - and a lot longer than I'd expected it too. Tell me what you think, because I really need commentary on how I write. I'd love to know what you all think, so please tell me whether I should continue or not. I'm not sure about Reno and Yuffie - they seem to be slightly OOC, but then again, this is my first fic like this, so I'm not sure._

Anyway, I've got to go. Thanks for reading, and the next chapter will be up very soon!

Cya!

Ealinesse


	3. To Cut Bait and Run

****

By Word of Mouth, 

By Ealinesse 

_____________________________________________

DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are not even in the story yet, though I do claim right to them when they pop up._

****

_____________________________________________

Chapter Three: So what if it's your materia...?!

_____________________________________________

Something was whining, and it wouldn't shut up. Leviathon only knew she wished it would just leave her the hell alone. Why couldn't anything go as planned? Why couldn't she just rest? Was it actually possible for her to get some sleep without having something jabbing into her ribcage? Or her cheek? Yuffie stifled a half-hearted complaint as whatever chose to annoy her only grew more persistent. The throbbing in her cheek just wouldn't go away, and nor would the sharp object stopping her from breathing properly. Was one supposed to hurt when they woke up from a catnap, or was it just her? Hell, if it was possible, even her toenails hurt. She ached too much to move, but she ached too much to not.

Yuffie kept her eyes closed despite the pain in her body. Whatever it was that was trying to get her to wake wouldn't work. She was more stubborn than that. And anyway, she hadn't got any sleep the night before, now, had she?

For a while she lay there, unable to fully drift off, and unable to fully awaken. Flashes of past events ran their course behind her half-lidded eyes as she struggled to make sense of what was real and what wasn't. Who could possibly make sense of parties, dragons and skycab tickets? None of it made sense. Feeling a headache beginning to form in the back of her mind Yuffie ceased thinking, but that only made her ribs and her headache worse.

Shouldn't she move? Wasn't that all it required to make herself more comfortable? Just roll over and the cushy blankets would allow her to sleep again? She tried it, but this time the pressure rested on her back. 

She groaned. Perhaps it was just not meant to be. If she opened her eyes, would whatever was annoying her give her a break?

Perhaps.

Yuffie snapped her eyes open while still on her back, shifting her neck only slightly. She groaned for the thousandth time as her sore muscles protested, telling her she'd gone to too much effort already, and to go back to a very welcome sleep. But she couldn't. She knew she couldn't. Something was nagging at her, and she had to figure out what it was.

Somehow she managed to get her hands underneath her and push herself to her knees. A wave of sudden dizziness threatened to tip her already skewed balance, and she ducked her head, taking deep breaths as she tried to progress further. Memory hit her and it suddenly hit her that she'd been more than just asleep. Impatient with her aching body, Yuffie began to stand, but fell back when her knee gave out under her, landing against what she figured was the same sharp object she'd been having trouble with earlier.

She decided to take stock from the ground instead, and soon wished that she hadn't. As she turned her head she couldn't help but groan, not only at the ache that resided throughout her body, but the mess of tangled bodies and tattered upholstery, topped off with shards of shattered glass.

"What a mess," she muttered dully, biting her lip as again her head pulsed with shooting tendrils of pain. She supposed she should really take a look at herself, first. People needed her, and since it seemed she was the only one awake, then she should really make sure she was fit to do so. 

Gingerly she assessed her body, catching sight of the rather hefty bruise around her knee. It didn't look too bad, she supposed. It was only bruised, ll; nothing a small Cure spell couldn't deal with. Next she checked her ribs from where whatever it was that had been jabbing her. She found she could breathe a lot easier now that she was actually upright, and from where she was she could tell they were neither bruised, nor broken – it had just been the way she had been lying. Satisfied that there was nothing major stopping her from standing, she put her hand to her head, which wouldn't let her forget the hit it had most probably taken earlier. From what she could tell without a mirror was that there was only a small cut, surrounded by a growing bump. Again, nothing major – no concussion, she didn't think, for which she was grateful. But at least she could account for the headache.

So she was fine. All she needed was a Cure spell.

Getting to her knees again, Yuffie was this time ready for any complaints her injured knee might make. Only putting as much weight on it as was necessary, she searched around for her shuriken, which always had a Cure Materia on it. She spotted it under the body of a man who had seemingly rolled onto it upon the impact, and without too much effort she pried it free. She relaxed as seconds later the spell washed over her, and any injuries she might have had receded into a dull ache. Her headache was there, but since a Cure only healed physical hurts, she wasn't surprised.

At last ready to go out and inspect what was going on, Yuffie kneeled next to one of the bodies that littered the ground. She had been able to tell as soon as she'd woken up that they weren't dead, but still, she had to see if any of them were hurt. She pressed her fingers against the side of the man's neck, feeling a strong, regular pulse that belied his pale body. Relieved, she went to check on the other passengers, gently brushing away any dust or glass that rested on their faces or exposed skin. No one was the worse for wear. All that remained was for them to wake up.

"Thank Leviathon."

Finally able to sit down, Yuffie closed her eyes and leaned back against one of the few intact seats. She let a sigh escape her parted lips as she felt her muscles begin to relax. She was certain she was just about asleep when a high-pitched wail tore through the air.

Yuffie sat bolt upright, her eyes wide as the incessant scream ripped its way through her eardrums. Struggling to find the source of the sound, her bleary eyes scanned the surrounding area, seconds later fixing on the figure of a woman not five metres away from her. So someone was finally awake.

Yuffie peered closer. The face was familiar, she was sure – probably someone she'd bumped into in the ticket queue. But right now the once dainty face was distorted into a face of grief and apprehension as tears billowed down her cheeks. She held the figure of a boy in her arms, and her long blonde hair draped over, concealing everything but her grief.

A feeling of dread caught Yuffie headlong. She stood slowly, forsaking her sleep for worry, and headed over to the figure as silently as she could, trying not to stand on the various haphazard sea of limbs that got in her way.

"Is he all right?"

The woman jumped, so intent on the motionless boy in front of her that for a second she froze. Then she looked up, her bottom lip quivering as she gazed at Yuffie through bloodshot eyes.

"M-my brother. He won't wake up."

Thinking quickly, Yuffie crouched next to the blonde and checked the boy's pulse. She took a moment to check the boy for injuries, but found only a small bruise on his forearm. He hadn't bumped his head from what she could tell, and his features, identical to that of his sister's, were lax and calm. His pallor was normal, not waxen, and he was breathing normally. She let out a sigh of relief as she realised he was merely unconscious, just like the others.

"He's fine. Still sleeping."

"You're s-sure?"

Yuffie smiled and nodded. "I am. Trust me, I've had lots of experience with things like this. He'll wake up when he's ready."

The answer seemed to satisfy the blonde, and a moment later she ducked her head, her cheeks flushing a faint red. "I thought he was dead. I'm glad somebody knows what they're doing. Thank you."

"No problem."

About to stand, Yuffie was halted when a delicate hand was offered. She shook it, grinning.

"I'm Dania."

"Yuffie." She paused, looking around, spotting a duo seats to their left. "Say, why don't we get you and your brother seated some place more comfortable? I'm sure he'd appreciate that when he wakes up."

Dania nodded, and with little effort on her part she helped Yuffie maneuver the limp figure into one of the passenger seats. When they were finished, Dania sat down next to the still figure. She brushed a stray lock of blonde hair from her brother's forehead thoughtfully.

"Why are we the only ones awake?"

Yuffie frowned. "I'm not sure. I don't think… " Her voice trailed off as she remembered the spell she'd cast on the group of terrified passengers. How long had it been? An hour? Two?

She ducked to look out the shattered window beyond Dania, catching sight of the sun just above the mountains in the distance. She hadn't been outside yet, but she could tell that it had been at least three hours since they'd crashed. A decent sleep spell had the potential to last a lot longer than that, and the one she had cast was no doozy. 

Yuffie turned back to Dania as the blonde tucked her wild hair behind her ears, puzzled. How could she be awake and the others not? As the woman brought her hand down to rest on her lap, Yuffie caught sight of a dainty ring on one of her fingers, a green stone in the centre. Yuffie frowned. It could have been an emerald, but the way it glowed in the distinct lack of light gave her cause to pause. Materia… Things were suddenly making a lot more sense. 

"What kind of ring is that?"

Dania shrugged, eyeing the small piece of jewelry with the same reserve as one might withhold for an old shoe. "This? My mother gave it to me years ago. Said it would help me deal with trouble, or something like that. Who knows? It wasn't rare for my mum to talk nonsense."

"May I look at it?"

"Why not." 

Yuffie took the ring, examining it in the palm of her hand. She nodded, quickly able to confirm her suspicions. No wonder this woman had woken up so quickly after being laced with such a strong spell, she owned a Protect Ring!

The ninja gave the ring back to her, biting her lip. "So you don't know what kind of stone that is?"

"No idea."

"Would you be surprised if I told you it was a Protect Ring?"

Yuffie watched as the woman blinked, then as a small smile crept across her face. Her hand went to her mouth and her eyes narrowed in brief puzzlement as she examined it a lot more closely, as if something long past had just begun to make sense.

"So that's what she meant."

Yuffie nodded. "And that's why you woke up so fast. You don't remember me casting the sleep spell, do you?"

"I… no."

"Well that's why everyone is still asleep, except you. Everyone was panicking and causing the cabin to rattle more than it could take, especially considering the fact that we were dangling off one support. It was the only thing I could think of short of throwing you all out the window, which you all would have done yourselves had I left it any longer."

Dania caught sight of Yuffie's grin, and offered a small smile. She turned back to her brother. "So what do we do now? Do we head back tonight, or… "

Yuffie frowned at this. She hadn't given the future much thought. Of course, she had no idea how long it would take the remaining passengers to wake up, and they couldn't just leave them there, now could they? There was no doubt they all had to get to their destination, but she doubted that even if she did head off now that any of the others knew the way. She couldn't guarantee their safety unless she stayed; she knew her home island inside out, but that didn't mean the rest of them did.

Perhaps they would even be forced to wait until morning. If it had taken nigh over three hours for Dania to wake up even with a Protect Ring, then they could be a long time in waiting. And even as knowledgable as she was about her own homeland, she knew that they couldn't traverse the plains – or the hills and bridges – in the dark. She couldn't be sure, but judging by where they'd been located when the dragon had come along, she reckoned they had a walk of at least four hours ahead of them, and then some.

Yuffie sighed, realising any hope she may have had of getting to Staniv and her father soon wold have to be put on hold.

"Well?"

Yuffie looked up into the concerned eyes of the blonde woman. She shrugged. "I don't know. It depends on when these guys wake up. I know the way back – I live here – but it's going to take us a while. I don't think we'll be back before midday tomorrow, providing everyone here wakes up in time for the sun to rise."

"That late, huh."

Yuffie winced. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Oh well, nothing to do now but wait, right?"

"Yup." 

After a few minutes of silence, Yuffie stood, shoving her hands into her pockets as she turned toward the broken front window of the skycab. She picked her way through the bodies, her hand unconsciously closing in around a warm item in her pocket. Yuffie frowned and pulled out the mysterious item, cocking her head to the side as she stepped over yet another body before exiting the cabin completely. She didn't have a Fire Materia with her…

Yuffie thrust her hands back into her pocket, not able to make any sense of the fact that her jacket pockets were full of the small spheres. A small smile found its way onto her face. Even if they weren't hers, it was their loss and her gain…

Though she couldn't help but think she was forgetting something important.

Shrugging off the odd occurrence, Yuffie began surveying the land around her. She was right; she knew where they were, but she also knew that it meant a lot of travelling. They had yet to reach the first bridge. That added about another half hour to the time it would take them to get back. They would have to leave early if they wanted to arrive before the afternoon came. Once she had finished surveying the skies for the sun's position, she sat down and rested her chin on her knees. It had been a long, eventful day. And though she had been nagging at Cid and company not to be so boring, this was _not_ the kind of excitement she had meant.

"Four and a half hours until freedom. Just great."

She looked up, rolling her eyes and about to turn her head from the spot when something metal glinted in the sunlight not far off into the distance. Yuffie squinted, narrowing her hazel eyes as she struggled to make out what the item was. When she failed to recognise it and her curiosity got the best of her, she got to her feet and began making her way toward the item. As she reached it, she shook her head, wondering just how the hell Reno's Mag-rod had managed to make it this far away from the cabin. 

She examined it carefully, noting the scratches and dents that no doubt each had their own individual stories as to why they had occurred. No doubt an injury collaborated nearly everyone on of these offences. With a shrug she pocketed the item, making note to give it back to the Turk as soon as she got back inside. 

Satisfied with her find, Yuffie turned, ready to go back when her face paled and a thought occurred to her. Something she should have thought of long before. Reno hadn't been in amongst the bodies in the cabin, and nor would he be – he had been on the roof when it had fallen.

"Oh shit!" 

Scavenging on the entire northern side of the cabin resulted in no luck, the same with the west, and again with the south. Ready to concede to the fact that Reno'd probably just gone off and left them alone here, Yuffie huffed and headed around to check the last side, wondering just why she was going to the effort of even trying to find someone who'd never even lifted a finger to help her. She rounded the last corner and looked out into the distance, threatening to even further harm the Turk's weapon of choice if she didn't find him. 

There was nothing. 

"Stupid bloody Turk," she muttered not for the first time that day. She was about to turn around and leave when an odd shape deep in the shadows of the cabin caught her eye. She peered in closer without moving, dubious as to whether her eyes were playing tricks on her. Warily she took a step closer, but all doubts were erased as she saw the open, gloved hand reaching out from the shadows.

Her heart jumped, and she darted forward into the shadows herself, kneeling quickly by the unconscious Turk's side. With a worry she couldn't place, she lay her fingers against her neck, feeling a sluggish, but definitely there pulse. Satisfied that he was alive, she sat back for a moment to assess his injuries.

A small cut ran above his eyebrow and into his hairline, and a growing bruise darkened around the spot. There was also a small gash on his left arm, but that was but a splinter compared to the three diagonal wounds on his shoulder. She recognised them quite clearly as claw marks, and though she knew that they weren't all that bad by themselves, she also knew that this was a Red Dragon they were talking about. They were potentially poisonous – at least the ones over five months old were, in any case, she remembered. She leaned forward, peering closer at the injury, though she couldn't see any traces of infection through the wound. Not past the blood at least. She thought he looked a little pale, but she couldn't be too sure; Reno wasn't the most tanned of men.

Yuffie winced, taking in the blood-soaked shirt and the large tear in it. Blood trickled down the side of his face from the cut, and unconsciously she wiped it off with her finger before it could further stain the white colour. As soon as she realised what she'd done, Yuffie drew her hand back as if she'd been burnt. She could tell that when Reno woke up he was going to be a bitch if he was in pain... Why should she do anything more than was necessary to help him? A Cure spell would do the trick mostly, but she supposed she should get him inside first, where she could deal with him more easily. 

But just how she was going to do that was another mystery.

She tried for the optimistic approach. Her hand began to tap Reno's emotionless face, her shots soft at first, but harder when she realised that her tactic wasn't working. After a couple of minutes with very little results, Yuffie swore.

Shrugging off a feeling of apprehension, Yuffie whipped an unruly strand of streaked brown hair from out of her eyes. He had no reason to still be unconscious. Unless…

"No." She shook her head. Poison, out here where she didn't have anything to treat it, wasn't an option.

"Come on, Reno," she tried again. "There's no way I'm carrying your sorry carcass inside. Remember what I told you? I said I wasn't going to do that. Now. Wake. Up." The last three words were emphasized by three more, much harder taps. But again there were no results.

"Fuck, move your ass, Reno!"

"Yuffie?" 

Yuffie jumped and spun around, turning to see Dania standing not far behind her, a worried expression on her pale face. She offered a nervous grin, and shrugged.

"Yep?"

"I heard you yelling. Thought you might have been hurt."

Yuffie smiled at the curt reply, running a shaky hand through her hair. "No, I'm fine. It's this thug here that's the problem."

She watched as Dania's grey eyes searched further into the shadows, scanning the ground for any sign of what Yuffie was talking about. Suddenly, her gaze stopped and her face paled. "Oh my god! Is he okay?" 

"Who, Reno?" She grinned tersely, "He's never okay."

A small frown found its way onto Dania's petite features as she took in the suit. "He looks official."

Yuffie smirked. "Actually, Reno is about as unofficial as they get. When he wakes up you'll wish he really hadn't."

"Don't you think we should get him inside until then?"

Yuffie nodded, then winced, realising that they'd have to lug his limp form inside. "I hoped you weren't going to say that. Come on. Help me lift him."

Idly, Yuffie wondered just why she was even bothering.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Over here," Yuffie grunted, stepping carefully over the limp bodies that still littered the floor. Reno wasn't so damned light anymore, she decided, and it had been hell even trying to manoeuvre the lanky redhead into the crowded cabin. He kept getting stuck on the edges of chairs, his chunky boots catching on one thing after another.

After what seemed like forever Yuffie reached the still-intact backseat, dragging Reno and hurrying Dania along before she tripped over something. A little too carelessly,she dumped the unconscious Turk into the seat, recovering his jacket from his bag and balling it up under his head; it was always crinkled anyway, and she was sure he treated it no better. And besides, when he woke up he couldn't say she hadn't helped.

Digging inside her pocket, Yuffie scavenged out the Cure Materia she'd used earlier. It pulsed longingly in her grip as she held it and cast the spell, closing her eyes tightly in concentration. When she opened them, she found the emerald sparkles of the Materia had already begun healing his wounds. Seconds later, his wounds had mainly healed. Except for his shoulder.

Yuffie frowned, pursing her lips slightly. Peering closer she examined the edges of the wound, which were still an angry red. It had drawn closed some, but hadn't healed as much as it should have. She decided to ignore it. She was probably just getting paranoid. Perhaps she hadn't summoned such a strong spell after all.

"Will he wake up now?" called Dania from behind her.

"Good point." Turning, the Wutaiian girl leaned over the seat before him, holding the Materia loosely in her hand. "Reno?" She prodded the Turk with her oversized shuriken, not wanting to actually touch the guy should he decide to leap at her as soon as he awoke. "Hey, Turk, I've had enough of this! Wake up already, before I put another dint in your bloody oversized Mag-rod!"

At first there was no reply. Then, after about ten seconds of seething over wasted time, the ninja thought she saw him move. As she watched his eyes slowly opened to that of the smallest squint, and he smirked vaguely when he caught sight of _his_ Materia in her hand, before oddly returning his expression to neutral. He made no move to get up. She caught his lips moving, and they emitted a small sound that she could barely hear.

"Reno?" 

He mumbled something else, though from her distance she couldn't quite hear what it was. She leaned in further, her ear hanging out for his words. 

"What?"

Reno grinned and reached up with an agility she hadn't known he had possessed, pulling the resisting girl down closer to his lips. 

"I _said_," he repeated. "If you do anything to that bloody nightstick I'll use at least fifty percent of that combat Materia you stole off me on _you_."

Yuffie blanched and pulled back, shrugging off his grip. She blinked as she remembered the wad of materia she held in her pockets, but said nothing. She remembered now, how as he'd been on the roof she'd pocketed a fair bit of it, in fact.

"Now, brat."

She grabbed his broken nightstick and shoved it into his lap as well as a few orbs of materia, being quick but select about which ones she returned.

Reno raised an eyebrow, recognising only a few spheres out of his collection of unequipped materia. He had more than that; he knew this girl, knew she'd never give it all back that easily. "What do you take me for, a fool? The rest of it."

Yuffie groaned. Okay, so he wasn't that gullible. But would he ask her a second time? Yuffie pulled out a few more orbs, but left a couple still inside her pocket, hoping he wouldn't notice. With a scowl that wasn't entirely faked she dumped the materia on his lap and stood brashly.

"That's what you get for saving a Turk! A whole lot of nothing!" 

"And don't you forget it, Yuff," he said with a grin, daring not to move against the nausea in his gut. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she stormed out of the cabin and disappeared off somewhere else. He shook his head and closed his eyes, ignoring the raised eyebrows of the blonde woman seated not far off. He took no notice of the bodies on the ground. By the looks of the spell Yuffie had cast on them, they wouldn't be waking for quite a while.

He lay there for a while, not quite able to sleep, but not quite able to stay awake, either. His shoulder throbbed dully and his body ached, but he put the latter down to his tired muscles. He knew his shoulder wasn't fully healed, for all the Cure spell he knew Yuffie had placed upon him. But he wasn't in the mood to deal with it right now, though, whatever the case, and although he would have given nothing more than to sleep for as long as he dared, he knew he couldn't without focussing too much on his aching muscles. And that just wouldn't do.

With a curse Reno sat up, frowning as he only then caught sight of his Mag-Rod in amongst the throng of glowing materia. Unconcerned about the number of orbs, he chucked them into his pack which he located not far away, and then picked up his weapon, scowling as he noticed the new scars on it. Unimpressed, he flicked the switch to low and turned it on, wincing when he received no result. He tried again, and again, all on different settings. He reached the last switch some ten seconds later. 

"Come on, baby." As he flicked it, the item sparked once, and then died completely. "Well shit," he groaned. And although he knew something couldn't freefall that far without some damage, he was still pissed. Now he had to rely on his backup weapon. Just bloody brilliant.

He looked around, finding nothing of use to fix it. And damn it, they were expensive to get serviced!

"Shit!" he repeated, lying back down as a sudden wave of weariness washed over him. As he began to turn on his side and close his eyes, something starched crumpled under his head. Sitting up with what he considered to be too much effort, Reno felt around behind him, frowning as his hands closed around a small sheet of paper. Curious, he picked it up and took a quick look at it, recognising it quickly as the message he'd stolen off Yuffie earlier, before all of this had happened.

Reno frowned, not sure what to do with it. She _had_ stolen his materia, and made him wake up long before he had liked. So did he read it, or hand it back? He hated to admit, that curiosity was fast getting the better of him.

'But she also saved your life and cured you when she didn't have to. The least you could do is give her back the damned note.' 

Reno cursed and stood somewhat shakily, pulling a cigarette out of his bag and frowning as he found himself following the voice's wishes. He pushed the nausea aside, frowning when it didn't go away immediately. He would deal with that later.

__

'There,' the voice continued. _'That wasn't so hard now, was it? Keep walking, Reno, keep walking.'_

And even though he did, Reno couldn't help but wince. "Oh, shut up," he said, ignoring the strange look the blonde woman gave him. "Just shut the hell up."

And besides, if he handed it back honestly, perhaps she'd let him read it anyway, for all it was worth. 'And,' he thought, 'if I go outside and talk to her perhaps then I'll have some idea of just where the hell I am, and when I can to Wutai.'

This wasn't the kind of excitement he'd asked for.

~*~*~*~*~*~

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another boring chapter, I think, but what can I say? This one would have been much, muuuuuch longer, but in order to break the story up more and give it a tad more structure I had to split two different segments. I think Reno may be a little OOC, but am not too sure. Can someone tell me this? 

I hope anyone who read this likes it, and hope my writing style isn't too waffly and confusing. Me, myself, am not absolutely positive on how it's working out, but that's me. 

Please review everyone, I live off them! Lol...well, not entirely, but that's not the point now, is it? ~_^

Gotta go, am nearly finished the next chapter, so that should be up in a couple of days - maybe tomorrow.

Cya later,

Ealinesse!


	4. Busted

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By Word of Mouth, 

By Ealinesse 

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DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are not even in the story yet, though I do claim right to them when they pop up._

****

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Chapter Four: Busted.

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Notes at start of story because of length - sorry ---

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AUTHOR's NOTE: Yes, I know I said I'd have the next one up in a day or two, but Word isn't being entirely fair. I lost what I had in a power cut about a week ago, and was entirely gutted at that. And so, if this chapter seems rather out of sorts, or the characters a little out of character, then that could just be me getting bitchy for having to re-write what I already had.

As it is, I'm not sure of the quality, and overall I shortened this chapter just so I'd have something to post.

Don't be too pissed with me - it isn't entirely my fault.

As always, tell me how you think I'm doing. They're nearly back, and the plot will get going very, very soon - within the next chapter or two. Constructive criticism or any comments are much appreciated, as anyone who can take the time to read this is thanked greatly. I'm surprised that there are people actually reading this in the first place! Lol.

So... please please review! On anything - characters, plot, … the weather? ~_^

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REPLIES TO REVIEWS:

To Rikku Oh Ki: Reno x Yuffie? *Grins* just wait ^_^

To Zach: An Escort? Hmm, not sure about that one, but read the 6th paragraph in this chapter. Maybe that will explain some_ of it - but you will find out more as the story goes on; there are reasons, I assure you!_

To Rose Flame: Reno controlled? Yes, I suppose he is, but I guess he's allowed to lose his temper every now and then, yeah? Fighting a Red Dragon on top of a 20metre-high cab which is swinging in the middle of nowhere isn't exactly my idea of fun. Who knows - maybe he just hadn't had a smoke? ~_^

To magnum opus: I'm writing, I'm writing...though my computer seems quite inclined to stop_ me from doing so!_

To klepto-maniac0: Thank's for the comment on my action scenes - I always get muddled writing them and I find them quite hard to keep track of - especially when there's more than one person; which, gratefully, I haven't had to deal with yet!

To Lindz: Thank you so much for the constant reviews! And again, to someone else for commenting on the action scenes. I really struggle with them sometimes - especially when I'm not in the mood to write them. So cheers!

To: droppedout: The new skyway? - Well, it ain't going too good now, but I bet Reeve thought it was a good idea at the time. ~_^

Okay, that's enough....On with the story! ...

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Yuffie's eyes watered of their own accord as she glared at the sun. She bit back a smirk as she idly fingered the new materia she had gained in her jacket pocket. Well at least there had been _some_ good come out of this. Now she didn't have to raise the materia in her pocket, as most of it was already close to being mastered. She had been no mere fool about which ones to select, even whilst under suspicion. Reno was so gullible, she decided. Especially for a Turk.

Yuffie sighed as her thoughts moved on of their own accord, glaring at the figure of the dragon where it had come to rest not ten metres away. She knew there was nothing she could do about it, but she was anxious to get to her father and find out just what was going on. Being delayed like this was only playing on her nerves, and having time to think without the facts only made her conclude undue assumptions. Biting her lip, Yuffie pushed back the worry, blinking away the unnecessary tears that pricked at the backs of her eyes. When that didn't work, she closed them. She was probably getting worried over nothing. 

Lying back against the cool, dust-covered ground, she put her hands behind her head. She would be better to worry over more worthwhile things. Like when the hell they were actually going to get back to her home in the first place. For a moment she wished she hadn't cast such a strong sleep spell, but inevitably she knew that hope was futile. Had she not have taken action when she did they might not even be here now. She was sure that, had she left it just a little longer, some of the poor, dumb fools would have jumped out of the windows instead of seeking the solace of the cabin's confines.

The pale girl frowned, feeling her forehead wrinkle as her thin chestnut brows drew together. She wondered idly if Reno'd be going back with them. It was most likely, even though he didn't seem too pressed for time. Then again, when had Reno ever seemed rushed? He was always so careless. He'd probably go back with them just to piss her off. He was good like that. Fate always had liked to work against her.

Allowing her thoughts to wonder off, Yuffie kept her eyes closed against the bright orange dusk. She had really intended to close her eyes for but a second, and although it felt like she'd been resting for hours, a second was in fact all it really was.

Yuffie snapped open her eyes as she felt something drop onto her face from above. She bit back a sneeze as the light object tickled her nose, and then was gone. She looked up, oblivious as to what the object had been, thinking it to just be an insect of some kind. On first glance she saw nothing and so ignored it the bright spots of the sun causing small dots to dance in front of her eyes, not allowing her to see anything directly anyway. 

A sudden snort made her jump, and she looked up again, blinking furiously against the orange and yellow specs that played hide-and-go-seek with anything she chose to focus her gaze on.

Reno took a drag on his cigarette, looking down at the small brunette as she turned away from him without even noticing his presence. "Well that's gratitude for ya." He smirked, then gestured to a piece of paper that littered the dusty ground. "I believe that is yours."

Yuffie looked down, gathering the note she recognised as Staniv's into her hand. Her initial fright gone, unanswered questions popped into her mind as she pocketed the crumpled paper without thought. Had he read it? She assumed so. So then, did he know why she was going back home? For some reason that bothered her greatly.

She turned to Reno, narrowing her eyes. "Soo...?"

Reno blew a rough 'O' in the air with a flume of smoke. He watched the mild surprise that manifested in her eyes as she saw that he had managed to seat himself next to her without so much as a sound. She said nothing, but lowered her head. Reno sated an itch at the base of his skull and looked away again, turning to the sunset as his smoke-ring embroidered the sun in a haze of dirty brown. 

"So… What?"

"_So_, what did you think?"

"Of... what?" Reno let an arrogant puzzlement sink into his voice. What the hell was she talking about?

"The note."

Butting out the smoke before it reached the filter, Reno suppressed a laugh. So she was worried that he'd read it? Perhaps coming out here had been worth it after all. He smirked instead, unable to prevent the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I didn't read it, you know."

Silence, then, "You… what?" There was genuine surprise in Yuffie's words, and her voice rose a notch in shock. _'She had...but...he...I…'_

"I said I didn't read it." He didn't turn, but was somewhat pleased at shocking her. The small grin grew larger when she looked away; not a large one - that would make her doubt him even more than she already did. 

Yuffie snorted in disbelief, flipping the note out of her pocket as examining it closely for any signs of tampering for all that it was just a crumpled sheet of paper. It didn't _look_ like he'd done anything to it, and she couldn't find any evidence of pranks. It _was_ only a note. Could he be telling the truth?

__

'… You don't seriously believe him, do you?'

"Oh," she paused when he simply remained quiet, uncomfortable with this admission and unsure of how to continue. Again a small seed of doubt sowed itself within her mind. She frowned. "So you just gave it back to me, without reading it?"

"Sure did."

Her eyes narrowed even further, but she raised her eyebrows and shook her head slowly. "Without so much as opening it?"

He nodded.

"Reno, are you feeling okay?"

He didn't dignify that question with an answer. Instead, he did what he thought was best, especially given the interrogation she was giving him. Thinking quickly he raised his hand, eloquently lifting a finger and saluting her with exactly what he thought of her questions. An eyebrow and a smirk accompanied this.

"Point taken," Yuffie muttered. "But I just assumed that, you… well…"

"Never assume, brat."

"What?" she snapped her head to face him, eyes wide at the sudden change of tact.

"Tseng always said assumptions are what get you killed. No kidding. Look what happened to him."

Yuffie couldn't think of anything to say to that. How could she keep up with a word game such as this? That he ever admitted someone else as right, or even listened to anyone else, was, to her, a miracle in itself. Why was he telling her this? She had no intentions of debating the finer matters of Wutaian war philosophy with a Turk. She just had to concede to the fact that there were some things she just wasn't cut out for. This, happily, was one of them. Wisely, she stayed silent.

Until her curiosity got the better of her. "So, you didn't read it?"

There was a short laugh. "Jeez, Yuff!"

"Just checking," she added quickly. But all too soon her quick smile fell and she began to fiddle with the paper in her hands. She didn't do anything except read the note over and over.

Reno, after realising Yuffie wasn't going to say any more, pulled out his nightstick, pouring over the scratches that had been marred into it from its fall. After opening the end and seeing the fried wires and circuits he dumped the broken weapon to the ground beside him, deciding he'd try and fix it later. When he could be bothered. 

Bored, Reno watched the ninja out of the corner of his eye, leaning back on his hands, his long legs stretched out in front of him. She was reading that note he had given her, and from a metre away and the angle she held it at, he couldn't quite read it. Obviously, though, it was no laughing matter. Her face was serious, an uncommon frown causing her wide eyes to squint, her usually amused lips curved downward in a mild expression of displeasure.

Now this, he noticed, was a change. She was asking him if he was feeling all right, and here she was sitting… well…_still_ for more than five minutes at a time. Why wasn't she bouncing off the walls, or throwing inane comments around at her own free will? He almost shook his head, wondering why he was even bothering to think it over; why he was even annoyed by the comment at all.

But he found, instead, that the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"You're one to talk, you know."

Yuffie looked up in startlement, her expression wary. "What d'you mean?"

"Well, are _you_ feeling okay? Haven't taken your happy pills today? No sugar? Candy?"

Yuffie winced. "Am I not allowed to act the way I want?"

To this Reno only shrugged.

"And besides," Yuffie added defensively, she thought a little too slowly. "You can't exactly give me that bullshit, Turkey. You don't read this when the opportunity is presented," she waved the note in the air, "and you offer to save a group of people who you don't even know. Who are you and what have you done with the real Reno?"

The redheaded man frowned. Three years was enough to change anyone? And so? Reeve would certainly not appreciate him killing a group of tourists simply because he'd wanted to get to Wutai on time. "Whatever," he replied, not willing to accept that she had gotten one up on him. He stood, waving his hand in the air dismissively.

Yuffie watched as he began to leave, a small smirk creeping across her face at the victory. The note was pushed to the back of her mind as she shook her head at the Turk's lack of response. "See what I mean? You're getting soft Turk."

Reno just shook his head, making like he hadn't heard her.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Piss off!"

"Why?"

"Because this seat is mine!"

Yuffie blinked at the words before resuming her tirade. The peace that had been held between her and Reno had ended shortly after the sun had set and the evening chill had set in. The bonfire they had managed to conjure up outside, although warm, did little to dispel the cold of the night inside the relative protectiveness of the cabin. And though the three people who were still awake had managed to work together long enough to theif off with some blankets to cover not only themselves, but the passengers as well, that was where the truce ended.

And besides, Yuffie conceded. It was only fair to share.

"The seat is _not_ yours Reno, you had it all afternoon. You can-"

"And I'm keeping it, thank you very much!"

"You are not!" She didn't care that she sounded like a two-year old. Damn it, she was cold, she was tired - worried among other things - and she was_ not_ going to lose a petty scrap to a heartless Turk. She shoved Reno with renewed vigour, but he held on fast to the cushioning under the handrails. 

"Give it up Yuff, because I'm sure as hell not!" was the muffled reply as he pulled the blanket he had stolen over his head.

"Reno, you stubborn ass!" 

No answer. 

"Turk, you… you-" A sigh over the other side of the room cut her off, and she turned to the sleeping blonde that was nestled in on the seat by her brother. The fading firelight illuminated the outline of the passengers, and though she fitted in easily, Dania was obviously the only one moving. With a stab of guilt Yuffie realised their childish bickering was keeping her awake. She watched the woman resettle and sigh again, before turning back to Reno. In the pending darkness she could just make out the outline of his back, as well as the harsh red of his hair in the dulling light that peeked out from under the woolen rug. He had turned away from her the second she had him. 

With a huff, the ninja prodded him in the shoulder...and received no reply. Not that he'd care to answer her anyway. He didn't even budge.

"Jerk," she mumbled, moving to another seat. She didn't want to keep Dania awake any more than was necessary. They were all tired. 

"Brat," came the suppressed and quite unexpected reply.

She didn't respond; she had more important things to worry about anyway: like finding a seat to sleep in that wasn't broken. She scowled as she looked around, finding that wasn't as easy as she'd thought - there wasn't one. 

Yuffie curled up in an awkward position mid-way down in the row of seats, far enough away from Reno to not have to worry about any tricks he might pull. Huddling her limbs closer together, she made a half-hearted attempt at trying to get warm, with only the light from the fire filtering languidly inside. It didn't matter anymore, though. She could no longer care less where she slept - whether she was cold - only as long as she did so. Reno was just being typically annoying, and when he was in that state - or any - she wanted nothing to do with him. His pensive mood was gone and so was hers. Big deal.

Yuffie settled down and closed her eyes, making herself as comfortable as possible in the limited space she had to work with. Seconds later, she was asleep.

But if Reno thought he'd won then he had another thing coming.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Reno wasn't sure what had woken him. In actual fact he didn't care. All that mattered was getting back to sleep.

Reno wriggled futily in the small space, the wall cramping his legs and coming up painfully short of his body length. The seat he rested in was overrated, he realised, as he flipped one way and then the next, struggling to fit his taller frame into the small space. It had been fine for a while, but now it was nowhere near comfortable to any stretch of his imagination, and right now he would have given the damned place to the brat. 

As he rolled over yet again, Reno bit back a groan as his leg began to throb. It was on the verge of cramping, he could tell, and although he really wished it wouldn't, it carried out on the threat seconds later. Reno bit his lip as the muscles tensed and spasmed for a painfully long moment, which went on for far too long. He winced and let his breath out slowly as the strain receded. With an ache like that there was no way he'd get back to sleep; not now; not later on; not with every muscle yearning for him to move somewhere more comfortable. 

__

'Or warm,' he thought, as an unbidden shiver wracked his body.

Damn it, she could have the bloody seat.

Reno stood and stretched quietly, meaning to walk out the kinks in his back and legs, ignoring how tired he felt despite it all. He continued to blame it on the hangover, and that was all. He turned to look outside, seeing that the fire was still going, though the wood was running a little low. So he hadn't been asleep for that long, although from a glance he could tell everyone else was still asleep in their places. Even the brat.

The Turk cocked his head in mild amusement. Yuffie looked even more uncomfortable than he did. Mangled into an array of long limbs, the young ninja was bent backward at an almost impossible angle. Her head dangled over the top edge of the broken seat, her left arm trapped under her shoulder, pillowing the sharp joint against the harshness of the disparaged seat. The chair itself, quite obviously broken, was tipped backward at a precarious angle.

Reno flinched at the gripe he was going to get in the morning from the ninja; that had to be unpleasant. He shook his head and began to drag his jacket with him out to the fire, but didn't get far as a sudden noise stopped him. At first the redheaded man thought he was hearing things; just the whisper of the night wind through the few surrounding trees, or the creak of the swing-bridges in the distance. But a second disquiet excluded that thought. He turned toward the noise, and winced as he watched as the seat began to rock slightly, teetering on the edge of defying gravity, and not.

"Brat?" Reno queried. He could only watch as she began to shift uncomfortably in the chair, and as it began to shudder and groan in reply to the awkward movements. It looked to be on its last legs as it was, and Yuffie looked to be about to drop awkwardly off its rear end. And by the way she was squirming, that wasn't going to take long. You didn't have to be a genius to see what was about to happen.

"Yuff, I-" 

Reno was cut off as his suspicions proved to be correct. The chair gave a last groan, and Reno darted forward, catching the ninja before she fell to the ground and could blame him for yet another poor circumstance. As he gathered her slumbering figure into his arms she made not so much as a further movement. There were no snores, and no half-hearted complaints, just the sound of her breath coming softly through her parted lips as she continued to dream on. 

Reno frowned as he dumped the figure on the back couch where he'd been not moments before, trying desperately not to wake her should she catch him out.

"Unbelievable," he muttered as he headed out to the fire, muttering under his breath. "She's right. I _am_ getting soft!"

He didn't see Yuffie grin in the darkness as he sat down by the fire, his discarded jacket long forgotten. Nor did he see her turn around and prop herself up by her elbow with a small smirk.

"Thanks Reno," the ninja chuckled quietly as she grabbed the forgotten blazer from the floor in one clean sweep. She always got the last laugh.

~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC...


	5. Quit yer bitching!

****

By Word of Mouth,

By Ealinesse

_____________________________________________

: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are not even in the story yet, though I do claim right to them when they pop up._

****

_____________________________________________

Chapter Five: "Quit yer bitching"...

Reno sat up, momentarily disoriented as he took in the scenery around him. He looked to the fire, and the fields, confusion warring for dominance on his face just before the memory returned. That was right… The dragon, the sky cab. 

He turned around to look inside but winced as his shoulder twinged with pain, and he put his hand on the injury to ease the ache. When it subsided Reno took his hand away, about to pull his sunglasses down in front of his eyes to halt the biting glare of the dawn sun. He stopped, however, when he spotted the crimson fluid on his fingertips. He looked down, seeing that the wound had opened again. His neck protested the movement, but he ignored it, more worried about how sluggishly the wound was bleeding. He'd have to do something about it before he went anywhere.

Getting to his feet in what he considered took too much time, Reno stretched quickly, trying futily to work off the last remnants of sleep. The wave of exhaustion would not be so easily erased, however, as although he managed to rub his eyes open, his body refused to store any energy. He felt as if he'd run a marathon and slept for but a minute before rising again. _And_ he felt faintly dizzy. Nor was he hungry.

Reno looked to his shoulder, refusing to give in to the inevitable suspicion.

Instead he turned to go inside, noticing that no one else was awake yet – not even Yuffie. He crouched next to his pack, and ignored the figure of the ninja before him. Chucking all in his bag that had fallen out from the rough treatment on the trip, Reno frowned as he failed to find his blazer amongst all the mess. He scavenged the immediate area, his eyes finally coming to rest on Yuffie's slumbering figure. Or, more correctly, just what she was slumbering _on_.

'Well she's most certainly made herself at home.' 

With as much stealth as he could muster, Reno slipped the jacket out from underneath her head, instead replacing the item with a blanket strewn across the floor. He winced as he stood again, carrying his bag with him, and moved outside lest he make any more noise. When he reached his destination he pulled out a Cure Materia he'd had on him for a long time, and cast the selected spell on his shoulder.

It didn't work.

He tried again, scowling as he watched the emerald sparkles settle around his shoulder before flaking off it, repelled by some outside force. Cursing with words that did little to help his situation, Reno began to rummage through his bag for an Antidote, finally conceding to the fact that the wound wouldn't heal anymore until the poison he now knew was inside it was neutralised. No wonder he felt so crook…

When he came up dry, Reno sat back, running a shaky hand through his hair. He searched his memory, trying to remember all the facts he could about the poison from a Red Dragon from his Turk training days. He realised though, that it was useless. The best he could do was leave now and hope for the best. He wasn't desperate enough yet to ask the brat – or anyone else for that matter – for an Antidote, should they have one. Yep, this always happened to him.

He realised he should probably bandage his shoulder since it wasn't going to heal of its own accord. It was still bleeding a little, and although small movements caused him pain, it was nothing compared to the ache of his muscles, or the sick feeling at the bottom of his gut. He also knew that this was nothing compared to what it would he if he didn't get help fast. Reno frowned, pulling off his slashed shirt and making a makeshift bandage out of the tattered remains. As he tied off the somewhat awkward wrapping, he pulled another of the few shirts from his bag, and pulled his jacket on over top.

Was it just him or was it getting colder, and not warmer as the day moved on, never mind the blue, cloudless sky? He shivered and chafed his covered arms, then stopped dead.

Weren't chills yet another symptom?

As hastily as he could, Reno got to his feet, deciding he'd better leave now should he want to get to Wutai in time. Slinging his bag over his back, he worked the kinks out of his neck as he began to walk away…

Though he hadn't walked ten steps when a voice from behind him gave him cause to groan.

"And where do you think _you're_ skiving off to? You wouldn't possibly be thinking of leaving me here to deal with the rest of the passengers, now would you, Turkey?"

Reno turned, his eyes narrowed. He bit back a smart comment as he noticed the shuriken that rested laxly in her grip, by her side and ready for use in a moment's notice. He scowled, realising the opportunity had passed itself by, and now he'd have to wait for the others to wake so they'd leave. The last thing he wanted were more wounds to match the ones in his shoulder, and no matter what Elena said, girls _always_ fought with their nails as a last resort.

And besides. If he really got desperate he could perhaps ask one of the others if they had an antidote…

But that was a long way off yet.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Yuffie watched with a smug grin as Reno plodded on ahead of her, looking for all the world like a scolded child berated with the influence of a wooden spoon. It was a close comparison, really, if one could imagine Yuffie's Conformer as the offending spoon, and her as the disciplinary mother - for that was very close to the outcome of their fight not half an hour ago. She still didn't know why Reno had given up so easily, though, instead choosing to just nod and go along with whatever she said.

She refused to take any note of how pale he looked. Or the way he held his shoulder. The last thing she wanted was to begin to feel sorry for a Turk, wounded or not. 

She had won, and that was all that mattered.

Yuffie's grin visibly widened when Reno, for the thousandth time that morning, drop-kicked his useless nightstick across the dusty ground, where it stopped not four metres before the second swing-bridge. Over the air she heard his curses, and shook her head. All morning the redhead had been in a foul mood, focussing all his frustration on his broken weapon. But even she could see that it was half-hearted as the pale Turk stopped and retrieved the weapon seconds later before crossing the bridge before him.

She watched as he crept slowly across the ancient structure, not overly cautious of the gorge he was hanging over, but wary of the many gaps that the bridge had accumulated over the years. And then, suddenly, he staggered as his hands went to his shoulder. Even from her distance she heard a distinct groan and a yet another muffled curse word. Confusion gripped her, but was quickly discarded for anger as Reno gripped a handhold and turned to face her with a shaky grin.

But even from her distance away from him she could tell it wasn't faked. She would have been a fool to admit that it wasn't hot. In fact, this had to be one of the best days of the year, but was it so hot that one would sweat? Surely not. Despite the cloudless appearance, the temperature was neither humid nor dry. Walking did not exhaust you that easily, and they hadn't been walking for long.

So why did Reno look so tired and pale? And why was there sweat beading across his forehead? Why did his feet lag and why did he cough every few minutes?

She had her suspicions, but she wasn't about to act on them. Not until it became an annoyance, at least.

__

'Which may not be so far away,' she thought as she saw Reno stumble for what must have been the thousandth time ahead of them.

* * * * *

Reno decided he was now in what he liked to call his own personal hell. For the past hour or so his skull, and, in a debatable matter of opinion, his brain - or 'lack thereof' according to Yuffie's earlier theory - felt like it was going to explode. Not only that, but it felt like it was going to take the rest of the world with it. His world, at least, and maybe the next.

But it didn't just end there.

Though the day wasn't particularly hot and there was barely a cloud in the sky, it felt like every singular ounce of heat was focussed directly on him. Magnified, perhaps, by ten. His much slower gait at the front was, well, getting even slower. And though he was no old man, he felt like one. Could you get chronic arthritis at twenty five? Reno scowled as for the thousandth time his vision blurred, and he had to blink heavily to get it back. He had no idea how long he'd been doing that, but he was certain that it wouldn't work for much longer. It was becoming a chore.

And besides, why keep your eyes open when you didn't need to? Wouldn't it instead be better to collapse back down to the ground where he'd at least be able to get some decent rest?

Maybe then he'd be able to catch his breath.

Stumbling onward slowly he heard a soft snicker behind him, and turned to see Yuffie eyeing him, along with the blonde woman, Dania. The joke was quite obviously at his expense; the evidence of which was confirmed when they realised he was looking at them. They shut their mouths quickly, but found humour as soon as he turned back around. His pulsing headache soon continued, and he wished like hell he had brought a PHS with him just so he could ring Reeve and leave without the lot of them.

He smirked and continued his awkward, stumbling steps. The joke would be on Yuffie soon enough, he decided, when she was carrying his sorry ass back to Wutai by herself, just like she'd said she wouldn't… 

* * * * *

...He didn't realise how correct he was until an hour later, when a powerful wave of dizziness nearly washed him off his already unsteady feet. After wiping a growing layer of perspiration off the top of his brow, he wondered not for the first time that day why he couldn't just swallow his stubborn pride and ask somebody for an Antidote. Wouldn't he feel better, then?

No. Probably not. He'd soon swallow his nightstick whole than accept help from the brat, who was sniggering behind him. Again finding something humorous out of the whole situation. He had no idea why, though. Every five minutes one of them came up to her and asked 'are we there yet'.

As he stumbled for the umpteenth time that day, Reno only just managed to catch himself before he fell. Putting a hand to his throbbing shoulder he hoped like hell Yuffie hadn't noticed. The last thing he needed was her to…

The thought went unfinished as an unexpected way of dizziness and nausea pressed him to his knees. _'Well here's a new revelation,'_ he thought wryly as he struggled to contain the bile that continued to rise in his throat. Putting a hand to his forehead, he placed the other on the cool grass, wishing like hell he had some cool water to refresh him. As it was, there was certainly no alcohol on hand, and there was no telling what that particular substance would do to him in his current condition. 

His headache grew instantly worse as Yuffie knelt quickly down beside him, her voice a tad more worried than he thought she had any right to be. Damn, he must look bad to make her lift a finger for him. 

"Reno? Hey Turk, answer me!"

How long had she been calling him? Seconds? Minutes?

"Reno-"

Biting back the nausea, Reno managed to gain his breath for just a moment. "What, brat!"

"What the hell's wrong?" Yuffie placed a cool hand against the Turk's forehead, pulling her hand away as fast as she could when she felt just how hot he was. "You're burning up, you know that, right?"

He nodded.

Then she spotted the dark patch on his jacket, as well as the tinges of bright crimson on his once-white shirt. "And you're bleeding again. You know that too?"

He didn't, actually. Opening eyes he hadn't realised he'd closed, Reno bit his lip as he looked down at his shoulder. Sure enough blood was beginning to seep through the bandage he'd wrapped around it earlier. A fat lot of good that had done. But no Cure spell was going to heal that. Not until he got the Antidote he needed. Reno sighed. So much for a simple surveillance mission; he wasn't even in Wutai yet, and here he was injured already.

He looked up to Yuffie, his eyes dull. "Well, shit."

"You can say that again, Turk."

He didn't dignify that comment with a response, however, as his gut churned suddenly. A wave of dizziness caused him to lose his footing, and before he knew it he had fallen backward, onto the long grass. From his position on the ground, Reno winced, feeling his shoulder jar and his muscles groan in complaint as he reached out an arm to the ninja crouched beside him. He tried to get his arms under him, but it felt more like he was trying to life a ten-ton weight with arms made of jelly.

"A little help?"

"Oh no. Not until you tell me what's going on. I'm pretty sure I've got some idea already, but I won't know until you confirm it."

Reno winced. "Well, for once I can tell you that you're right."

She ignored his comment, though, and instead concentrated on his jacket, opening it and the shirt up before she got to the bandage. Reno didn't protest at the inquisition – he had to have energy to do that. He let his head rest back down on the ground and closed his eyes against the sun. Even with his glasses over his eyes the sun still seemed unnaturally bright.

"God. I don't suppose you have another bandage, Reno? This one's soaked through."

Reno winced as she began to peel the sopping bandage away from his wound, where it had begun to stick as some patches had dried. He batted her hand away. "Check my bag. Use the torn short."

There was a rustling sound and he realised that sure enough, Yuffie was searching for bandages. While she was doing this he somehow managed to sit up, his shaky arms somehow gaining strength in his moment's rest. Peeling off his jacket all the way, he began to work off his shirt, feeling the strain it was putting on his sore shoulder to undo the buttons. When his arms began to shake with the effort, he dropped them to his sides, more than a little annoyed. The job wasn't even half done yet.

"Fuck. What am I, a toddler?"

Yuffie looked back up at him under her eyelashes, amusement glittering in her eyes despite the situation. She began to unravel the fresh makeshift bandage into something useable. How many hours could she add to their travel time now that Reno was down for the count?

She smirked. "You really want me to answer that question?"

"Please don't." Reno groaned, going back for a second try with the buttons. This time at least, he managed to get two undone. But that was as far as it went. He looked up, frustrated with his sudden inability to take care of himself, and scowled at the ninja.

"Need help with that?"

"I can take care of myself."

Yuffie snorted. "I'm sure you can." Nonetheless, though, she _did_ need to get the bandage changed so they could get on their way. She swatted away his hand and began undoing the buttons, trying to hide the blush that rose to her cheeks as Reno continued to gaze inquisitively at her. When she was done she looked up at him, seeing the clockwork roll on behind his eyes as he tried to think of something to say.

Eventually he opened his mouth, but Yuffie was ready for it.

"Don't even think about it, Turk."

His mouth snapped shut and he smirked. "Spoil my fun, then."

She ducked her head and untied the blood-soaked fabric wrapped around Reno's shoulder while he continued to glance up at her in confusion. She winced as she snagged a bit on dried skin, tugging it a little more than was necessary as she pulled it away. She looked up and saw him flinch, then proceeded to wash the remaining blood away. She tried not to look at the wound itself; the way it bled profusely, and how inflamed and angry the edges of it looked underneath it all. She sighed and shook her head. There was nothing she could do except bandage it up. Any spell cast on it would be wasted, as it wouldn't heal until she'd cured him.

Reno caught her wince at the sight of it, and much as he would had liked to, he couldn't force his stiff neck to look down. If he did so he was sure his head would explode, and that would be the end of it. Instead he rolled his eyes. "That bad, huh?"

Yuffie screwed up her face. "Why don't you take a look see?"

"I would if I could, brat."

"Here, let me help you. Simply tip your head downward-"

"Yuffie!"

"All right, all right."

As she began to bandage it, he stopped her with a hand over the wound. He winced even at the light pressure, but instead looked her in the eye rather than concentrating on the pain. That would get him nowhere fast. "I want to look at it."

"You already said you couldn't."

"Well get me your mirror, then. That'll work."

Yuffie shook her head. "… My what?"

"Your mirror."

"Reno, this is not the time to be worried about how you look, trust me. Snow White is more tanned than you right now."

"I don't want to look at myself in the mirror!" He was feeling irritable, and when he was irritable, he was snappy instead of smart. Levering his eyes open to a squint, Reno watched Yuffie huff and cross her arms.

"Then why do you need a mirror?"

"To look at my shoulder and see what you're bitching about!"

Yuffie frowned at this and began to scramble through her own shoulder bag, shaking her head and muttering under her breath, occasionally looking up at him with a sidelong glance. He thought he caught the words 'stupid' and 'lazy', but right now he couldn't have cared less.

Finally, the chocolate-eyed girl frowned, her face forming into a pout as she began to close the bag. "Nope."

Reno resisted the urged to strangle the ninja, though he realised he couldn't if he tried. She'd probably be able to push him away with her pinky finger. Not even worth the humiliation. "Nope... what?"

"Nope I don't have one, idiot."

Reno cursed. "What are you on about, every chick has a goddamned mirror in her bag, no matter how small!"

"Well I don't!"

"Typical," he muttered, not caring how derisive he sounded. 

Yuffie bristled, her scowl deepening. "Look, don't blame this on-"

"I have one," came a voice from behind them. The woman, Dania. Reno nodded his head as a small mirror was pressed into his hands and the figure that was shading him from the sun receded. He realised that under any other circumstance he would have enjoyed the impromptu view. Right now, though, he was more concerned with what was going on with the injury on his shoulder...

As he angled the mirror to where he could see it, his faced paled even more, if it was at all possible. He could only star. Not two hours ago the wound had looked reasonably sanitary. Right now, thought, it looked as if it were a completely different injury altogether. It was no hard to tell the difference between the three parallel claw marks, and though he knew they were there, Reno found it difficult to even place them. Place a shaky hand against his chest, he looked on in disbelief.

"No fucking way."

Yuffie sighed, not so pleased either with the latest developments. "Way," she said. "And it looks like I'll be carrying your sorry carcass home after all, Turk."

Reno winced as she took the mirror away and began wrapping the wound tightly with the new bandage. He failed to look at how the material soaked through again almost immediately. "Damn it, Yuff," he said. "That does hurt, you know." 

"Hey, it's not my fault you decided to take a dance with the dragon. It's also not my fault you were stupid enough to get clawed in the process."

"And I suppose it's my damned fault that the Red Dragon was even after us in the first place?"

Yuffie twisted her face into a mock-thoughtful expression as she began to tie off the bandage. When she was done she reached past him and stuffed his shirt and blazer back into his lap, eyeing the unrestful people that watched them warily. She stood, offering a steady hand as he looked up at her in disbelief. 

"Damn straight. Now get your ass up. I'm sure you can walk for at least a little bit longer before I have to begin dragging you."

Somehow he managed to stay on his feet. As the ninja let go and began to walk away he took a slow step forward, then another. Perhaps he could keep walking for a while after all. He guessed it helped that he was no longer leaking blood like a broken faucet all over the place. "Excuse me if I don't sound so thrilled about that last bit."

From the front of the now-progressing line, Yuffie turned around. Her eyes glittered in amusement, but there was some hidden concern written there, too. He was sure it was little to do with him, though, and more to do with whatever awaited her back home. 

"Oh quit your moaning, Reno. I know you're gonna drop sooner or later, but we are _not_ carrying you any further than we have to, whether you like it or not. We'll get home faster this way, and then you can go and do... well… whatever the hell you Turks do nowadays."

For lack of anything better to do Reno smirked and poked out his tongue. He didn't bother thinking about the fact getting to Wutai was going to be another problem entirely.

"Hey," Yuffie muttered, falling back in beside him, rolling her eyes and patting him on the back with mock sympathy. "It's your life."

And with that last little dig he could only watch as she trotted happily back up to the front of the line. Wisely, he refrained from comment and kept walking, biting his tongue to hold back the arsenic-laced thought. He could do with saving whatever amount of energy it took him to come up with a decent reply. Instead he focussed stonily on placing one foot in front of the other.

__

'Breathe,' he told himself. _'Keep walking. The sooner you get to Wutai, the sooner you can stop leaning on her shoulder… And the sooner you can strangle the life out of the smart little brat.'_

* * * * *

__

Author's Note: I really don't like this chapter, I really_ don't. It seems fragmented to me, but I'm not too sure. Reno doesn't seem right, and neither does Yuffie. It may be because I've been working on it for a little too long at a time. Just tell me what you think, okay? Criticism - both constructive and opinionated - is always welcomed! _

Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out, but I haven't had a lot of time recently. (I sincerely apologise for the quality of writing, too.) But with all luck, I'll be able to finish this story soon, as my holidays are coming up. As far as the next chapter goes, look out for it in the next couple of days, because if should be up then - it's already half written. I hope I haven't lost any readers by neglecting this story so much!


	6. Beating the Clock

****

By Word of Mouth, 

By Ealinesse 

_____________________________________________

DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are not even in the story yet, though I do claim right to them when they pop up._

****

_____________________________________________

Chapter Six: Beating the Clock

_____________________________________________

"I think, Yuffie-kins, that you're going to have to let me lean on you a little longer after all," Reno sighed as he shifted uncomfortably against the girl.

Yuffie winced at the pet name Reno had begun to use to annoy her. Hoisting him up higher as he began to slip a little, she prodded him in the side to keep him awake. "Like bloody hell I am. You get your bloody feet moving, or I'll dump you right here. I told you up in the cab that I wasn't going to do this for you, and here I am. Get you lazy ass _up_."

"You willing to bet on that?"

Reno almost smiled as he caught the sour look on the ninja's elfin face.

"Oh, shut _up_, Turk. You owe me big for this one."

****

Damn it, he was thinking too much.

Reno withheld a gasp as the gaping wound on his shoulder was jostled again, and the free-flowing blood once more broke free from its hold under the makeshift bandage Yuffie had applied earlier. The wound continued to refuse to clot, and even with the pressure it was currently under, the consistent movement created was counteracting any good. Yuffie seemed to know this, not just himself. And although this part of Wutai was not known for the presence of Red Dragons, it didn't mean other parts weren't. He was almost glad that she seemed to know her stuff. At least that way he wouldn't have to worry about him telling her what to do…

Wait. Scrap that. He told her what to do anyway.

Deep in thought, Reno winced as he stumbled on an unseen rock. He cursed, but realised with his eyes blurring and playing up the way they were, even had he been looking he probably wouldn't have seen his own hand in front of his face, never mind a rock. Feeling the weight of his boots drag him down, he couldn't stop his ankle rolling, and in utter dismay his body sagged against Yuffie's. This brought another bite from the ninja as, for the thousandth time, she grunted and pulled him up, dragging his slipping arm back over her shoulder.

"Turk, no one ever taught you to walk straight, huh? Look; one step, two step, three step. One foot right in front of the other. One, two, one, two. You know, I would _really_ hate to see you dance."

Reno snorted. "You're the one leading the way, _you_ walk straight." 

At this Yuffie poked out her tongue, while Reno scowled, feigning an act of indifference. It was the end to an act which had been repeated quite frequently in the past hour. 

Reno frowned despite himself. He hated this… this depending on somebody else, least of all a ninja brat from Avalanche with a smart mouth. If he had been able to walk by himself, then he would have. There was no way he was going to let on how stink he really felt. Better to come across lazy than really admit any weakness, no? And besides, it was one thing having his head pounding continuously, but completely another to have your gut writing in pain, your stomach twisting in agonising cramps… your sight blurring, your fever raging…

Reno bit back a cough, shaking his head. What the hell was it with him today? Talk about self pity central. He bit his lip, futily trying to ignore the white hot agony coursing through his shoulder. Pain was pain, and one way or another you either got over it or you didn't. So why couldn't he just knuckle down and focus on any one of those outcomes? Was it so hard to try?

There was still little doubt, though, that Reeve was going to get it when he got home.

Focussing on putting merely one foot in front of the other, it took Reno a while to notice the object sticking out of Yuffie's pocket. Perhaps it was because at first it was but a blur of colour – one of the many dotting his current line of vision – or perhaps it was his severe lack of inattention, but when he recognised it there was no way he could waylay his shock. Here he was, walking, on his fucking deathbed, and the brat had a readily accessible PHS in her _pocket_?

He hadn't realised he'd stopped walking when a sharp voice spoke in his ear. "Oi, Turk, pull your weight around!"

"What the hell is that?" Reno scowled, hating how painfully alien his voice sounded to his own ears. Raspy, dry and weak, he hardly recognised it as his own.

Yuffie stopped trying to drag Reno from his current state of stubborn immobility and looked in the general direction he'd been pointing. Even after Reno's arm dropped in weakened exhaustion she still hadn't seen what he was talking about. She narrowed her eyes, her expression dubious.

"What do you mean?"

"_That_. In your pocket."

Yuffie immediately paled and put her hand over the jacket opening. Had he seen the materia she'd still managed to keep? Surely…

"… Do _not_ tell me that's a PHS in there?"

This admission gave her even more cause to let her jaw drop. Shera's earlier words came back to her, as well as the promise she'd made to the woman. She _had_ pocketed the PHS before she'd left, but in amongst all of the materia, she must have forgotten about it. She almost cursed her stupidity, hoping it wouldn't look as bad to everyone else as it did to her. She pulled out the object in disbelief and flipped the front clip open, blaming her absence of logical thought on her distraction. Brought to life by the action, the phone beeped to life in a chorus of small chirps and cheap sound effects. This admission was only confirmation to her ears.

"I… "

"It _is_, isn't it?" 

"Yeah." As if trying to make up with the lack of reasoning, Yuffie poised her hand above the buttons, numbers flying readily to her mind from memory. As she was about to press in a set of numbers, she stopped, a veritable thought jumping to her defense. Her fingers paused halfway from the keypad, and she turned to Reno even as she flipped the phone's shutter closed. Ringing Cloud and Tifa would only result in undue worry. Cid would just be damned angry, and Barret probably wouldn't stop swearing. Wutai, of course, had no such system to even bother thinking about.

"Well," the Turk drawled. "What are you waiting for?"

"There's no one to call. Where would that get us? There's no secondary form of transport available enough to get us out. We're close enough now as it is, we may as well walk. We're making good time."

Reno winced. "Speak for yourself. And what do you mean there's no one to call or no transport? Have you forgotten that Reeve's the President of Shinra?"

Yuffie's faced went void of all expression, and had she possessed Reno's foot she would have kicked herself with chagrin at her own stupidity. The Turk had a point. She bit back a groan, readied the keypad, and began dialing the number. She was even more embarrassed when somebody actually answered, though more than a little relieved.

__

"Hello?" a droll voice sounded over the line, and Yuffie lowered Reno gently to the ground and turned away, indicating quickly to Dania to halt the remaining passengers in their tracks. She ignored the 'I told you so' look written so plainly across Reno's drawn face.

"Hey, I need to speak to Reeve immediately."

__

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but the President is in a meeting at the moment. Perhaps if you leave a message, he or one of his representatives could call you back." It was not a question.

"Look, it's Yuffie Kisaragi here. Please put it through, it's an emergency. I-"

__

"Sorry, but I can't do that."

"Yes you can."

__

"No. I can't."

Yuffie could just imagine the woman in a micro-mini skirt with her heels up lazily on the desk, filing her nails for lack of anything better to do, the phone resting languidly on her shoulder. _'Nothing but a goddamn gum-checking... _"Why not?"

__

"He's in a meeting here. He cannot be disturbed, it's of the utmost importance..." A sudden commotion cut the woman's voice off and there was a scuffling noise, then the slamming of a door. More scuffling, then a muffled curse. Yuffie listened hard, hearing nothing until another voice rang quite clearly over the line. 

__

"... Hello?"

"Reeve?"

__

"Yuffie? We've been trying to get hold of you! Where are you?"

The ninja released the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. "About two hours walking distance out of Wutai. About forty or so minutes before the final bridge. My phone was off. Sorry."

__

"Why are you - you were on the skyway, correct?"

"I was."

__

"Oh, thank god. We sent out a search party last night when the cab didn't arrive, but found nothing in Southern Wutai. A search party has just been deployed for the eastern segment, but you know what it's like at the moment. You're with the cab? Are you all alright? No one's hurt? What happened? You-"

"Everyone's fine, Reeve. Calm down. There was nothing wrong with your cab, per say, that would _normally_ make it come off its cables." There was a sudden snort from her side of the line. Turning to face Reno, she noticed he'd been moved to sit on the ground. He was propped up on his elbow somewhat uncomfortably, though even from her view she could see the redhead's mirthful scowl.

"Don't give the poor guy a heart attack, Yuff. You're worse than I am. Tell him what happened."

She poked out her tongue and turned away from him again, breaking the eerie silence on the other end. "Reeve?"

"What happened." 

"The cab fell when it was attacked by a Red Dragon."

__

"It fell. A Red Dragon." There was a sigh. _"Oh, God. Please tell me you're joking."_

"Oh, I wish it were all a joke, Reeve. Otherwise I wouldn't be stuck carrying a babyish Turk home." There was another laugh from behind her, which she ignored, then a sigh, which quite obviously came from Reeve. She could just imagine him running a weary hand over his eyes as he opened his mind to absorb whatever she was going to say next.

When he next spoke his voice sounded weary to her ears. _"Care to elaborate, Yuffie?"_

"Heh, well, we were roughly twenty minutes cabin-distance from Wutai when something started rocking the cabin and clawing at the frame. To cut a long story short, we fought it, it fell on us, then we all fell."

__

"But there's no dragons in that area! Specifically why we put the cab there and not somewhere else!"

"Well, apparently, there is now."

__

"Oh, God. And you said there was a Turk with you. Reno?"

"Yep. He was fighting the dragon on the roof of the cab, got his shoulder clawed pretty badly when he was doin' so. Exactly why I'm carrying the damned fool back here."

"He's all right? Alive? His status?" Reeve's voice sounded distinctly worried. 

"Alive and kicking. Literally. The idiot can't walk straight, but we're making our way back. The poison's messing him up a little, and he's slowly weakening, but I think he'll make it. Actually, with that I'm pretty sure. He'll probably be awake enough the whole time to give me hell."

There was a short laugh, then a pause. _"Poison? So he needs an Antidote?"_

"Yep. And we need a ride out of here. I'm not only speaking for the Turk when I say that walking out of here is doing us all little good. The passengers are complaining, and the last thing I want to do is have to put them all under a Sleep spell to calm them down again."

__

"Have no doubt that I'll arrange that, Yuffie. I'm checking it out as we speak." There was a brief pause, and then the sound of someone typing on a keyboard. She distinctly heard Reeve curse. A minute or so later and Reeve again picked up the phone. _"All right. There's a supply plane headed your way in about fifteen minutes. I'll send a message to the pilot to keep an eye out for you, but it's be best if you keep your eye out as well, just in case anything should happen. Stay where you are, and you'll be picked up and taken directly to the Wutaian airstrip from there."_

"All right. We'll meet you then. And, Reeve? Thanks."

"It's the least I can do, Yuffie. Just make sure Reno rests and-" 

Hanging up she turned and caught Reno's brief, but smug grin. After all that time help had only been the push of a button away. Why hadn't she thought of that earlier? Ignoring the comment Reno placed on her, she sat down, watching as the other ex-passengers eyed her with a wary look.

"Camp's up," she muttered. "We're being rescued in about," she looked at her watch and grinned with dramatic poise, "fifteen minutes."

And as the whoops of encouragement echoed around the fields, Yuffie thought she caught the ghost of a smile of relief on Reno's face. She smirked, about to comment on how she'd no longer have to carry him, but was cut off by a sudden wet, hacking cough. She was going to let it pass, not worry about the way he sounded, but when the Turk continued to gasp for breath even as his tortured lungs struggled to fill with air, she found herself darting forward to his side, steadying him as he swayed suddenly even as the others began to step away. 

As she watched he seemed to recover slightly, but this cough that had developed in the past hour or so worried her. Unlike Reno she openly accepted the symptoms of the poison flowing through his body, and this cough, as harmless as it sometimes sounded, was getting steadily worse. It had begun as no more than a harmless clearing of the throat, but had grown into a wet-sounding fight for life, not so much a mere cough as a wheezing struggle for breath. She watched his face, pale and clammy, white beneath the glasses he had vehemently kept over his eyes to hide the sun contort into a mask of agony even as sweat began to bead on his forehead. She did not need to feel his forehead for the heat of the fever; she knew it raged his body, growing steadily higher as his body fought to combat the alien chemical inside it.

Yuffie frowned. If it had been anyone else she would have been worried to death. But why was she so concered about Reno…? Sure, he'd helped her in Wutai four years ago when Don Corneo had captured her and Elena, but that wasn't so much for her as it was the blonde Turk. And without him she wouldn't have been able to try her trick on the dragon at all, but…

There was a derisive snort and her attention was suddenly diverted. She eyed Reno skeptically, who struggled to shake off the bout of weakness that had overcome him. For his sake she tried not to noticedhow his arms shook. 

"Do I look that bad? Not worried are you? I thought -" But that was as far as Reno go before he broke off into a another round of fitful coughing. She kept her hand on his back as one of his hands flew to his mouth, while the other one struggled to keep him balanced while he sat. Yuffie shook her thoughts off and blew out her breath out slowly, adjusting her expression to one of carelessness, wondering why he was having such an easy time reading her. 

"Save your breath, Turkey," she said. "It looks like you're going to need it."

"I resent that comment," Reno gasped out. "If it weren't for you… I…"

But this time it wasn't coughing this time that caused Reno to halt his words. Frowning, Yuffie caught herself following the path of his hand as he brought it up to his face, and then to rest lightly against his lips. She peered closer, wondering what had made him stop his train of thought, when the sun suddenly caught on whatever it was on his fingers. As he moved his hand again in the air and licked his lips in disbelief, trying to clear the substance of them, she clearly saw him grimace in identification. She also recognised the substance for what it really was, but it didn't make it any easier to accept.

"Oh, shit," she whispered, shaking her head as her eyes refused to unglue from the blood covering Reno's fingertips. She watched again as he wiped disgustedly at his mouth, curses falling freely from his lips, at a loss for anything more to say. "How long have you been coughing up blood?"

"Since now."

She knew poison could cause internal bleeding among other nasty things, but as soon as this? Perhaps fifteen minutes was still too far away.

"All the fucking luck." When he spoke, his voice was almost painfully quiet, and she had to strain to hear the words as they flowed from his lips. She sat back again, confused, and could only watch as, as if a switch had been pulled, Reno's body sagged against the support of her arm. Because of his dark glasses she couldn't see his eyes, but she knew he'd finally passed out. His breathing, loud as though it was, was slow and even except for the occasional hitch.

Yuffie ran a shaky hand over her face, meeting the steady gaze of Dania as she looked up. The woman looked down to Reno, her worry more undisguised than her own. She sighed and turned away, her face blank.

If she hadn't been so worried, she would have accused him of fainting when he awoke. She didn't allow any room for an 'if'.

****

* * * * *

It was almost half an hour before the plane arrived, despite Reeve's probably painful attempts to get it to hurry up. She didn't blame him, though. She knew that managing people was often hard, and usually, unless a pay increase was involved, nothing like he had ordered worked that well, even for a president of a powerful company.

The initial joy that had been circulating from the news of their rescue had long since faded, and in the fifteen minutes between the estimated time of arrival and the time that the plane actually arrived, there had been a number of arguments and accusations spat out between the passengers. 'Why' seemed to pop up a little too much, and Yuffie had found herself more than a little tempted to cast another Sleep spell on them. They had become impossible to manage, and even though she fought to control her emotions, Reno, who had woken up for only a short while before, hadn't practiced so much restraint with the materia. The entire load of passengers, including the original crew, now lay in a slumped heap in the hold of the cargo plane.

Yuffie stared out the window, her lips pursed, eyebrows pinned downward in a squint as she watched the growing town of Wutai begin to appear from out of the hazy horizon. Her stomach knotted painfully and she winced. But the agony in her stomach had nothing to do with motion sickness - no, Shera's pills took good enough care of that. What was wrong was the anxiety that balled in the pit of her guts, a plague of worry that wouldn't melt away until everything had been righted again. 

Unconsciously she willed the plane to move faster into the airport as a grunt of pain sounded next to her. She turned to the sound.

"Still alive," she ventured.

Reno scowled. "Well I'm… certainly not in… heaven, brat." His face suddenly turned serious and he bit his lip as the plane was jostled by an air pocket. "How long to go?"

"Not long." 

"Good."

Yuffie grinned. "I think that's the first time we've agreed on something all day, Turkey."

There was a quiet cough and a short laugh. "Don't... get used to it, brat. I believe I'm delirious."

She snorted, but caught his grin, however brief. "Figures," she muttered before turning back to the window, relieved that she could spot the runway not far off. With any luck they'd be in Wutai within the next few minutes. And maybe then she'd be free of the bitching passengers...

... And Reno.

* * * * *

__

Author's notes: Yeah, okay, so I was a day or two late. I apologise, even though it was no biggy. Expect the next chapter to be uploaded in about the same time span. Make sure to tell me what you think, and review! 


	7. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

****

By Word of Mouth, 

By Ealinesse 

_____________________________________________

DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are not even in the story yet, though I do claim right to them when they pop up._

****

_____________________________________________

Chapter Seven: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow...

_____________________________________________

Luck, it turned out, had nothing to do with the landing. Nor did apparent pilot skill, she realised as the plane bounced across the runway before coming to a complete stop in a screech of smoke and burning rubber. Yuffie unscrunched her face from its mask of fear as the plane halted with a groan, her fingers finally able to relax from their white knuckled grip on the cargo nets behind her. She made a mental note to make sure Reeve began to actually _check_ if people had pilot's licenses _before_ he hired them.

She also made mention to tell Cid that perhaps he _wasn't_ such a bad pilot after all, as the nausea that had rooted itself in her belly gradually began to subside. At least he could land a plane _on_ that actual runway instead of scraping dangerously along the grass verge. She could easily say that this was the worst landing she'd ever experienced in her life.

"Well, at least we're alive," she muttered as her aching muscles began to protest their abuse. She ignored them, however, and concentrated of finding Reno in the mass of bodies before her. A couple of minutes ago the plane had hit a particularly bad bout of turbulence as it had descended into its final stages of landing, and although she'd done her best to stop the Turk from sliding around in the hold, she'd been forced to let go of him when he began to slide into a crate, lest she should be dragged with him. Somewhat thankfully, he'd been knocked out from the impact, but that probably wouldn't last for long. At least he was out of his – and her – misery for the time being.

At length she spotted him in amongst a tangled sea of limp arms and legs. She had just began picking her way through the crowd when the cargo hold's door slid open. She could only stare in horror as a body began to slide out of the plane, and as whoever the poor fool was who had opened the door, was felled by the sudden weight.

After a moment of silence, she winced when a deep voice began to curse. "Are you all right down there?" she eventually called. 

There was a brief grunt of concurrence, and then a face popped up through the gap.

"Where you headed now, miss?" the slight man asked her, climbing over the wad of people into the back of the cargo hold before disappearing in behind a few of the larger crates.

"Home, hopefully."

"You need a hand?"

Opening her mouth to answer, Yuffie's could only blink as someone else did the honours for her. 

"Not just yet, I shouldn't think. Deal with the other passengers while I talk with Miss Yuffie." 

But this authoritative voice wasn't the other young pilot's; for he was still in the cockpit. No, these words came from a different person entirely, and as Yuffie reached over the pile of dozing mischief to the Turk beyond, a second hand reached past and assisted her, pulling Reno over the heap into a more manageable position.

Throwing the man a cautious glance, Yuffie quickly continued to examine Reno, checking his pulse and breathing a sigh of relief a she felt it there, albeit it a little more strained than before. Quelling her worry she turned to the man, looking him up and down, instantly observing his businesslike demeanor and strained smile. His pressed suit was immaculate - smooth to perfection, which was more than she could say for Reno's. She didn't imagine she looked any better herself. He was shorter than her by about a head, though, she was pleased to notice, and rather round, making him appear even smaller. 

A hand was offered, and she took it. "Kantra, Office Administrator of the airport. Nice to meet you, though the circumstances leave a lot to be desired." the sleek man said aprubtly.

As if answering her question, the man otherwise known as Kantra offered her a brief grin, rolling his eyes in a manner that belied his formal appearance. Her first impression of a tight-ass executive was removed as the wide smile wiped all sinister expression from his face. He shrugged and proceeded to begin to haul Reno out of the cabin without further prompting. "President Reeve called and said you'd be needing some assistance. Said Reno'd gotten himself into some trouble, too. Something about a dragon and the skycab? I don't suppose I need it to be explained."

Yuffie nodded at the Turk held up against the shorter man as Kantra slung Reno's arm around his shoulder. "Trouble seems to be his middle name."

Another smile. "In that I would agree. This way, please, there are some forms you have to sign, and I've a weak antidote ready for Reno. It'll be enough to get him to an item store on his own legs, I'm sure. But it's all we have I'm afraid..."

Following slightly behind the man, Yuffie frowned. Reeve hadn't said anything about an escort or anything about a set of forms to fill out. Hurriedly she trotted up to the man, wincing slightly at the difficulty he seemed to be having with carrying Reno, his shorter frame obviously not used to such exertion. She withheld a comment about him getting his suit rumpled, deciding that such a remark would be best left for Reno, and instead settled for, "You need a hand?"

"Not at all," Kantra said, smiling although his teeth were gritted together with the strain of supporting even Reno's slight weight. "You've had enough trouble, by the looks of things."

The comment was enough for her to pull back, and she instead dissolved into her mind to thoughts of her own. Kantra was right, anyway; her back was still sore from two hours of carrying one very slack Turk.

* * * * *

Yuffie scowled at the pile of paper in front of her. "Reeve didn't say anything about this!" she muttered, flicking through the fine print and finally slamming her hand dramatically on the paper. A select thud echoed through the room as the wad of paper absorbed any further noise.

"Well... Uh, no, I guess he didn't," Kantra said, shifting nervously from one foot to the other. His green eyes suddenly seemed to find the floor very interesting. "Nonetheless they do need to be filled out by someone." He turned to the door, and Yuffie scowled at his back. His tone was sympathetic, and though she knew it wasn't his fault she was still here, it sure made her feel better. 

"Will there be anything else?"

"No," she brooded, flicking yet another page.

"All right, then." Kantra left the room without even a goodbye or an apology, leaving her alone to her thoughts. When the door clicked closed, she was certain that she heard the door lock, should she decided to leave of her own accord.

The ninja sighed and leaned back in the stiff chair. Looking around the room she flicked a brunette lock of hair from her face, frowning at the painfully uniform white walls, and the grey carpet. Apart from a desk, a chair, and a patchy two-seater couch in the far corner, the room was barren. It reminded her of a dull rainy day, and she wondered just how anybody could get anything done in an office that lulled you to sleep with boredom. 

"But complaining will not get the work done," she muttered, forcing her eyes back to the inch-thick stack of paper. Clicking the pen on and off with disturbing violence, she read the first question. "Name? Well that's simple enough." 

But it wasn't until she reached the third page that it became confusing. Frustrated, Yuffie sat back in her chair and threw the offending pen across the other side of the room. She crossed her arms across her chest, having had about enough of the sight of the sheets before her. "Damn it, Reeve didn't say anything about forms! I feel like I'm flunking an exam!"

"He never does."

Yuffie jumped and sat up straighter, eyes wide. "Reno?" She turned, facing the voice, watching as Reno picked up her pen from the floor and placed it back on the desk.

"The one and only. And Reeve never says anything about those forms, because, well face it, if you're even half normal you'll bitch about them until you get out of it. It's easier for him and the whole world if he just springs them on you. It's how he gets his daily kicks, knowing that he's pissing someone else off as much as they are him." 

Yuffie watched as Reno made his way across the room onto the couch. He was looking a lot better, she decided. He'd taken care of the blood crusted in his hair and on his face, and he wasn't as pale as he had been. At least he was walking by himself now, though she could tell he still wasn't fully healed. His grin was a tad less enthusiastic than usual, and he sauntered across the room slowly, still favouring the unhealed wound from his shoulder; the wound he wouldn't be able to cure until he could get a decent Antidote. He had changed his shirt, though, and there was no trace of his injury except for the faint show of a pristine white bandage peeking out under the collar.

Reno smirked from his seat. "Though I see they've managed to get you filling them out anyway. I suppose that was why the door was locked."

She nodded, and threw the paper over to him. He caught it deftly and threw it back to her as if he'd been burned. 

"Don't even think about it, brat. I've filled enough of those out in my life to know what's good for me and what's not. They," he gestured to the forms as they sat on the desk, untouched, "are not."

She scowled, picking at the paper disgustedly. "What the hell do we need to answer these for, anyway?"

Reno shrugged. "Insurance. Reeve covering his ass, that kind of thing. What part are you up to?"

Scanning the page, Yuffie rolled her eyes and slouched over the desk, chin resting on the palm of her hand in mock-weariness. "Section Two, D. Man, does Reeve need to work on his written communication skills or what. Ol' Bugenhagen makes more sense than this."

The redhead closed his eyes, stretching with a slight wince, and Yuffie watched him frown in concentration. A sudden grin appeared on his face as he opened his eyes and caught her puzzled expression. He pointed at the paper. "Let me guess, 'Please state total sum of party of whom sustained maltreatment during period absene?"

The ninja felt herself blink before her body even reacted. Flicking to the page and scavenging to find a single word he'd misplaced on the form, she found none. She blinked again, her face blank. 

Reno's feral grin only widened. "A lot can happen in three years." He nodded at the pile with a rather tired look. "Those damn things take up a good percentage of them. And the answer to that particular question you're stuck on, is one."

"Feel free to explain," she muttered, rubbing at her forehead.

"Because that load of crap written there stands for 'how many people were stupid enough to get themselves hurt'. I believe I was the only one."

Yuffie snorted and filled in the answer, biting the end of the pen as she held it poised in the air, ready for the next question. "Okay then, one. That's two sections down, twenty-five more to go." 

"Thirty-three."

"What!"

"There's actually thirty-three left."

Yuffie eyed Reno with barely withheld disgust. "You're kidding."

"Wish I was. Apparently I'm stuck in here with you until it's completed. I doubt Kantra's going to let me out after that last little incident."

"What last 'little incident'?"

But Reno didn't answer, merely turned away with a small grin on his face.

Yuffie sighed and turned back to the paper. "Well I guess I'd better keep writing, then."

She clearly heard Reno groan. He turned to face her, his expression tired and disbelieving. 

"What?"

"Yuff, in about two hours you're _really_ going to wish you never said that." When she kept writing, Reno frowned. "You're really going to keep answering them that way, huh."

"You've got a better idea?"

"Actually, I do." When Yuffie didn't answer, Reno smirked. He could see her frustration from here, and he had an amusing, if not perfect idea. "Might I suggest something?" 

Yuffie could only watch as Reno picked up the paper, producing a glowing green orb from his bag. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Not at all."

"Reno, I don't think-"

"Do you _really_ want to answer all those? I'm doing you a favour here."

"No, but-"

"Look, the way I figure it, if you don't answer them then I'll have to. Reeve'd make sure of that when I got back. This is my answer." 

"You have a twisted sense of logic, Turkey."

"Whatever."

Her only reply was a chastely raised eyebrow. It would be a quick laugh. She watched as, with no further adieu, Reno threw the paper into the air, muttering the words required to cast the spell under his breath. Seconds later the paper ignited and a great plume of smoke rose up in the air as it caught, staining the roof a dark charcoal with the enhanced bloom and stretch of a dark flower. As the smoke and haze faded she could see the mark it had left clearly, which stood out starkly against the crisp white. The childish grin on Reno's face made her smile, but she quickly ducked her head and covered her ears as the smoke alarms went off, and there was the distinct sounded of a 'click' - the unlocking of the door. Yuffie took a hasty step back as Kantra stormed into the room.

"Reno! What do you think you're doing!"

"Look, Kantra, I didn't answer them last time, did you really think I was going to this time?"

"Well... no, but I thought Miss Yu-"

"Good. Come on, Yuff, we're out of here."

As Reno grabbed her arm she leaned in to him, muttering, "_Last _time?"

There was a brief snort. "Look up."

And it was then that the ninja noticed a second cloud of old soot firmly stuck to the ceiling. It was suspiciously similar to the one Reno had made just before, though located a lot closer to the door, as if the person had been trying to escape while casting the spell. 

"And I though I was immature." 

"What was that?"

"I said you really need to learn to exercise some restraint with fire, Turkey."

"Why's that?"

"I heard about that kid, Reno."

"Heh, yeah. And to think he was even more annoying than you... until yesterday I did _not_ know that was even possible."

It was only with great self-control that Yuffie managed to keep from punching him in the shoulder.

* * * * *

Roughly two hours later Yuffie assisted a very pissed Turk from the gates of Wutai's airport. She also couldn't help scowling as she thought of all the forms they'd had to fill out. Reno's ploy, in the end, hadn't worked after all. They'd been caught at the door by security while a very irate Kantra had locked them in the office and posted an armed guard outside the door until they'd finished them. Each and every single one had been checked as they'd watched and it didn't save any time when the administration officer had discovered some of the smart replies Reno had come up with. 

As if reading her thoughts, Reno muttered, "Well how was I supposed to know that Reeve found out about last time?"

Her dark scowl deepened and she squeezed her free hand into a fist, trying to hold her tongue. "How can you burn someone's ceiling and _not_ have your superior find out about it?"

The Turk chose not to reply and instead carried on walking. Their destination didn't even need to be conversed; Yuffie knew the best item shop in Wutai, and she knew what Reno needed. If he was not going to admit his weakness then she was not going to bring it up, even though the dispirited Antidote had begun to lose its effect against the poison in his system. But getting from here to there just seemed like something they both had to do, and as well as that, the shop was on the way to her home. They hadn't yet said anything about parting ways.

As they walked Yuffie surveyed the land about them, breathing in the fresh air that surrounded them. The main areas of Wutai were sheltered from the dry, humid air that whisked across the plains, and for the majority it was a calm place. Or it _had_ been a calm place, she reflected. Since the Meteor incident and the end of the old Shinra, Wutai had stopped being such a reclusive location, and had begun to accept visitors to their culture with more willingness. After meeting Reeve Lord Godo had accepted that this would happen, and accepted the pleasantness of the rule of the new world, as well as the publicity it would involve. As an impact Wutai had grown bigger, attained more trade, which in turn had boosted its previously failing economy. The town had prospered, and the proposed universal Sky-cab circuits had helped it along its way. No one, so far, had any complaints.

It took them little time to reach the small item shop which was located in the new central square. But when they did, however, the ninja left Reno outside by a bench in the cool air by the changing rooms, where the stuffiness of the shop inside wouldn't get to him. Besides, the last thing she needed was Reno causing a ruckus in the shop. She could just picture him haggling over the price of an Antidote.

Approaching the counter the young ninja smiled and waved at the shop manager, but was met with a shifty glance. She frowned. It wasn't the first time someone in the street had spared her an odd look since she'd left the airport, but she put it down to her absence, though. Perhaps it was because she was paying so much attention to it that she noticed it? She was the heir to Wutai, after all, though oftentimes that didn't mean a lot…

Things were no different now. Yuffie wondered idly what it was, but shook the thoughts off when she considered the matter at hand. A strong Antidote. Right. Picking at the objects it took her but a short minute to find what she was looking for. Gathering two of the small white bottles - one for Reno and one for future storage - she lugged them up to the counter.

"Not feeling too well, are ye, Miss?"

The brunette offered a chaste grin, which was followed by a frown as the serving girl jumped, as if frightened. Yuffie's expression dropped, and she frowned. "For a friend," she muttered. This reluctantness was fast getting to her. She'd known this serving girl for years, why was she being so cold?

During the entire exchange, neither of the two said anything more, and soon enough Yuffie left the shop with her new possessions. When she got back Reno was nowhere to be seen, and she almost left, thinking how obvious it had been that the Turk would do so. She sighed and it wasn't until she sat down on a bench seat when a voice rose her out of the silence.

"What took you so long."

Yuffie jumped, berating her off reflexes. She looked up into a set of sapphire eyes, which glittered with not-so-concealed amusement. She quickly recovered herself and procured the Antidote from her bag. She smirked and held back the object when he reached for it. "What, no 'thanks Yuffie'? No 'wow, gee, you saved my scrawny ass... again!'"

In the silence that followed Yuffie was certain she tumbleweed roll across the pavement as Reno fixed her with a pointed stare. She scowled. "Not even an 'I owe you one'?"

There was a snort, but apart from that no answer was offered. Instead, Reno snatched the object out of her hand faster than she'd have thought possible and walked into the toilets not ten metres away. "Wait here," he called back. She watched as the redhead picked at his bloodstained blazer, wincing at the damage done to it over no more than a day.

"I thought you wouldn't mind wearing something like that," she called in, taking a seat on a park bench beside her.

Her only answer was a derisive laugh, then, "Don't flatter yourself, brat. Even I have to sense not to wear shit like this in public. Besides, you don't look any better."

* * * * *

"Don't flatter yourself. Even I have the sense not to wear shit like this in public. Besides, you don't look any better."

Reno frowned when he received no reply to the barb, but discontinued his train of thought when a wave of weariness washed over him. Sliding into an individual cubicle the redhead closed relieved eyes and sat on the lid of a toilet seat. He closed the small door, leaning his head back against the cool concrete of the wall, opening the bottle of Anditode and downing it in a large gulp. The initial burning sensation as it went down his throat made him wonder whether Yuffie had put a more potent poison in the tiny flask, but minutes later as he began to feel better, he discarded the unfounded thought.

Gradually the nausea and bile sitting in the back of his throat began to subside, as did the constant throbbing in his head. The initially refreshing iciness of the wall fast grew uncomfortably so, and he rubbed his neck as he sat forward, realising that his fever was going to go down fast, too. Though none of that made up for the energy he'd spent trying to stay conscious through it all. He knew only sleep would cure that. He picked through his bag, knowing now that he could now heal his wound, and found a Cure Materia in amongst all of the junk. He smiled in satisfaction as the spell settled over the wound and he was finally able to take the bandage off. He dumped the item on the floor, vastly relieved.

His outward mask of ungratefulness forgotten, Reno spared a moment to thank Yuffie internally for not leaving him to die like many others would have. Cloud's woman, Tifa, would never have been so kind. And the only other people known to have carried him around were Rude and Elena, with good reason. He couldn't remember anyone else ever buying him an Antidote, either. Did she expect him to pay it back?

Quickly removing his outer blazer now that his wound didn't need to be concealed, he turned, ready to leave the cubicles when a sudden series of noises outside the toilet caught his attention. He faced the opposite wall, frowning. Who would fight _behind_ the toilets? He dumped his bag onto the floor, climbing up onto the seat of the toilet and peeking out the distorted, open window, wincing as he did a once-over of the scene.

Someone had been causing trouble, he noticed, and was paying the price dearly in what was the otherwise deserted back alley behind the toilets. The man in question lay unconscious and detached from sanity in a void of black pain, and the other one... 

Reno did a double take, almost falling off the top of the toilet as a familiar image appeared in his mind. It took him more than a second to click on where he'd seen him before, and even then he was dubious. Was it possible that the man he was to watch for the next few days to be here, now? If so, this had the potential to save him a lot of time. Not to mention effort. If this was Carlos Ilantra, then he need look no farther than a back alley.

As his charge began to again kick the man on the ground, Reno couldn't stop a deep frown from creasing his forehead. What was he doing here? According to the files he had received, the recently parole-released man was on house arrest only. The conditions of this sentence were that he was not to appear in public for another three months, until his ankle collar was taken off him. That was only _if _he behaved. And that was another thing that confused him. Reeve had mentioned that the parole officer for the Wutaian area hadn't contacted the Shinra Headquarters for the better part of two weeks. 

By regulation, the officers in charge of parole for every city were required to report to Reeve or his underlings weekly with a report of criminal progress. the fact that his parole officer hadn't kept up the weekly communication to Shinra headquarters. Nor had the psychologist, which irked Reno greatly. He knew both men, and their articulate and often painfully abrupt methods of interaction. 

Reno watched as the man began to turn away from the beaten figure slumped against the pavement. What would cause either man to allow Carlos off his leash, especially out in a public place such as this. He felt dread pool at the bottom of his gut as he eyed the unconscious body on the ground. How many more people had Carlos injured - or even worse, killed?

He needed to know what was going on, and he needed to know now, before Carlos got away. If the psychologist had let Carlos out, then why? Reno frowned, pulling the slats off the window in rapid succession, never tearing his eyes off the figure that was steadily making its way to the end of the alleyway. He couldn't afford to ponder over whether to follow the man; there was no decision to make, and no further thought to Yuffie. If this made his mission pass faster, then so be it. The brat would be grateful to get rid of him, anyway.

No one out on the street spared him more than a second glance as he crept out of the window and into the alley. He didn't bother to do any further searching. Sparing a second to cast a weak Cure spell on the body in the alley behind him, Reno didn't even have the chance to look back and see if he was okay; he was too busy trying to keep up with the man who had just now darted around the corner in front of him. Reno followed, flirting with the shadows as he kept his eye on the man in front of him.

But why did his gut feeling tell him this wasn't going to be so easy, after all?

And why did he feel guilty for saying not so much as a 'by your leave' to the brat?

* * * * *

Fifteen minutes later one Yuffie Kisaragi began to get rather pissed off.

Reno had said wait, and in a moment of uninhibited compliance, she had. She'd waited, and waited, and was quite frankly growing tired of it. The bench seat she was resting on was uncomfortable to say the least, and the annoying bustle of the Central district was beginning to irk her. In the past two days she'd grown accustomed to the relative calmness of the countryside, and she'd long since felt a headache brewing at the symphony of piercing, bustling sounds.

Two minutes later Yuffie's temper got the best of her. "Reno, what _is_ taking you so long?" she called out, standing up and heading over to the door. She ignored the strange glances. At least they were founded this time.

She was answered only by silence and so she tried again. But to no avail. Yuffie cursed, about to turn around and leave when a sudden thought occurred to her. She scoffed. "Turkey? Will you stop being so damned vain and hurry up?" 

Nothing. 

"Oh for Chrissake, that's it! I'm coming in." Her temper abruptly returned and without further thought she covered the remaining distance to the toilets and strode straight into the door to the small building. Under her front of anger, the young ninja found she couldn't quite conceal the worry that sounded in her voice as she made her way into the mens' toilets, hoping like hell no one with any lasting memory recognised her as she headed in.

"I swear, if you've gone and fainted again, I'm gonna come in there and... "

Yuffie's voice trailed off as she was met with three cubicles. Only one was locked. By way of feet under the gap to the door, there was nothing. Reno wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Reno?" Yuffie shook her head as her voice echoed oddly in the concrete tiled enclosure. Silence followed, and she scowled, getting to her hands and knees on the cold concrete ground. "I can't believe I'm even doing this." She stopped, counted to three in her head, and opened her eyes at the end of the count.

Nothing. No feet. No suit. Just a discarded bandage on the floor. Yuffie wriggled her slight frame under the door, wincing as the bottom of the door scraped along her back. She stood up slowly, anger quickly replacing her fear as she eyed the window slats taken out of the window. Curious, she leaned forward and tipped her head out of the frame of the window just in time to catch sight of Reno darting out of the alley, into a crowd of people at the end of a desolate lane.

Yuffie scowled. He could have just _told_ her he was going to leave. Not like she had a problem about it, she did have things to do herself. Heading out of the cubicle she began to wander back down the street. It was a while before she realised she was headed in the wrong direction. She turned around and began to walk back the way she'd come when a newspaper heading caught her eyes. She froze in her tracks and her faced paled. She picked up a copy to look closer, but she hadn't seen incorrectly.

No wonder Staniv had called her back.

No wonder everyone was staring at her.

She should be at home!

Yuffie dropped the paper on the spot and began to sprint as fast as her legs would allow her. She pushed through the crowds, her heart pounding furiously, her eyes on the verge of tears. Any thoughts of Reno were thrown out of her mind as she whizzed down the street without so much as a backward glance, her arms pumping, her breath coming in short gasps. Why had she delayed so long?

She didn't see the cloaked figure watching her at the end of the alleyway as she left.

* * * * *

__

Author's Notes: Eh heh heh, heh... Okay, oops again, I think I took a while on this update, too, huh? Never mind, it's up now. ^_^ I'd like to know what you all think, etc, as I crave feedback always! Thanks to anyone out there who's reading. 


	8. From One Thing to Another

****

By Word of Mouth,

By Ealinesse

_____________________________________________

DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are not even in the story yet, though I do claim right to them when they pop up._

****

_____________________________________________

Chapter Eight: From One Thing to Another...

_____________________________________________

Reno hid himself in the lengthening afternoon shadows, staying well out of sight with the help of the light, and the large crowd. Darting from one shadow to another, Reno grimaced as the man disappeared for a few seconds, only to reappear in a completely different location. It had happened countless times, and though the man he was stalking was large – nearly taller than himself – he was hiding with ease in the crowd of people. Just one of many things Reno was growing to hate about this man.

At least he didn't think he'd been seen, yet, and he probably wouldn't, but the way the man kept walking in spiraling circles around the blocks gave Reno cause to think twice about each move he made. They seemed to be following some sort of pattern, as if the man knew he was being followed – or was he searching for someone too?

It didn't surprise Reno one bit that they were heading well _away_ from where Carlos was supposed to be residing. 

Reno cursed and darted through the crowd faster as the man's bald head disappeared from his view again. Thinking him lost for the thousandth time, he grinned when he spotted him again, though the look fell when he turned and looked over his shoulder, only to see yet another familiar face heading his way. As fast as he could Reno ducked his head and pressed himself against a wall as Yuffie sprinted past him, her expression dark. He frowned. This was fast becoming habit.

When she passed he pulled back out of the alley and looked to the spot where he'd last seen Carlos…

Only to find he wasn't there.

"Shit!" Reno watched the spot for a few more minutes, pressing his way through the throngs of people even as they worked against him. He shouldered his way around, though to not avail. Carlos was long gone. He supposed that didn't mean things were a total loss yet, though. He _had_ spotted him without trouble, and he looked even larger than the profile had suggested. He'd come back here tomorrow, perhaps.

He decided to head for the hotel, but not without a last glance at Yuffie's receding figure. He couldn't stop a frown from creasing his forehead. He'd encountered her three times now, and he hoped it was nothing more than a coincidence. Putting his sunglasses down over his eyes, he mused over the thought that perhaps Carlos was following _her_. Could it be related that he always followed soon after her? She _had_ been heading in the same direction as them each time…

Reno dropped the thought as a yawn threatened to erupt from his lips. He placed his hand over his mouth as he passed through the Central Square. There'd be time to think of it later. Right now, he needed a decent beer, some food, and sleep. Just because his injury was gone didn't mean the evidence of his effort had. His stomach let rip a loud grumble in agreement, and Reno winced. It _was_ true that he hadn't eaten for just over a day.

It took him the better part of ten minutes to reach the inn, buy a key that would last him the duration of his stay, and lug his gear up to what would be his room for the duration of the mission. Opening the door Reno looked around, surprised at how much the room had changed in just a few years. It seemed not only the town as a whole was benefiting Wutai's world-wide acceptance. Gone was the shabby upholstery and the tacky wall hangings. Instead there was a small radio, a television and video cassette player, as well as a mini bar. The bed wasn't a heavy, lumpy down, but instead springy and supportive. The view of Da Chao exceeded that of breathtaking. 

Suddenly aware of his painfully tired muscles the Turk pulled a beer out of the fridge and flopped down onto the bed. With a grateful sigh he took a sip of the cool, liquid amber, and relished its fresh feel as it trickled lovingly down his throat. In no time the beer was gone, as was a second - just enough to make him forget his headache and put him to sleep. He lay back on the bed after double-checking the deadlock door, slipping his bag from his back and dumping it on the cabinet beside him. In what seemed like seconds his exhaustion caught up with him, and he closed his wide eyes, relishing the feel of the cool linen on his cheek.

But a moment later he was asleep without even bothering to take off his jacket, or his shoes. Snoring softly but soundly the Turk slipped into a relaxed, restful slumber, all but for the early afternoon sunlight streaming through his window, illuminating the fiery copper strands of his hair, and the vivid scars on his pale face.

* * * * * 

Yuffie slipped into her home through the third storey window - the unorthodox way - how she always had as a child. For those moments she was free, scaling the heights and feeling her heart pound with adrenaline at the adventurous entry. She briefly relished the feel of the cool afternoon wind on her face, smiling as she looked down at the clueless guards through the shrubbery that had always concealed her, and always would.

But as she carelessly dumped her accumulated gear from her back, finally through the window, she almost sank to her knees as the newspaper's headline popped into her mind. Her thoughts of freedom and younger days were forgotten. She pushed herself with leaden legs out into the corridor, ignoring the shocked gasps of the guards as she pushed past them, unexpected. After a moment they recovered themselves and resumed their order, saluting somewhat shakily. She supposed they were in enough trouble from allowing Godo to be taken.

"Where's Staniv?" Her voice sounded foreign, dry and weak. How could a day change so much? 

Cautiously, a sentry bowed, frowned, shifted from foot to foot in nervousness. She ignored the looks of uncomfortable discontent on their faces and focussed her eyes on the floor. She would not cry. Strength was the key. _'I can do this.'_

"I… In the main hall, Miss Yuffie, with the others."

Without further word she left, feeling her long legs push her into a dogged run. Again she pressed the tears back - now was no time for them - and by memory alone slid through the heavy, ornate doors, the corridors, and into the upper floor where her father usually resided.

"Father? Staniv?" she called, seeing a mob of people crowded around where her father would usually sit. It wasn't hard to see that they were praying. At her words the group of people dissipated, peeling outward from the empty throne. Her eyes stuck to the stop and she zoned out for a moment, imagining everything was fine. Her father was fine. She did not notice the older man come forward, or the tentative hand on her shoulder, even though Staniv was in her direct line of sight.

"Miss Yuffie?" The voice came to her as if a long way away and she shuddered, suddenly cold. It took a great effort for her to drag her eyes from the empty space, although there was nothing so captivating as to hold her eyes there. It was empty. Plain. Blank.

"Staniv?" She would have scowled at the weakness in her voice, but her hazel eyes caught the pale envelope instead, and all thoughts of emotion were forgotten. It looked so innocent… but then again, so had her own letter. As she grasped the item, she glowered as her numb and shaking fingers could not open the simple device. Shake took it from her hands, his face grim, thin lips in drawn downward in distaste.

When she opened the object her worst fears were confirmed. She looked around the room, and all but her most loyal aides diverted their gaze. She too felt unworthy. She ducked her head.

"It came last night," muttered Staniv as she reread the object, his eyes dark. "We had no warning. Godo was in his chambers one night, gone the next. We had no warning," he repeated, voice solemn. "I'm so sorry."

But Yuffie offered no comforting words, for those she could not find. Suddenly she was on the floor, her eyes filling with tears as her knees buckled. Her palms hit the ground hard and dropped the impersonal note; she watched it fall with the delicacy of a dainty flake of snow, though it seemed to hit the ground like a ton of lead. The note held her father's fate, the fate of Wutai, hers...

Yuffie squeezed her eyes closed and shook her head to clear the tears which would not obey. She gathered the elusive note in her fists, and crumpled it in her fist. A hand landed on her shoulder for a second time, and she looked up into her advisors worried eyes.

"You are the key to the city for now, Miss Yuffie. You must be strong, you must not fear. We will find him and punish the traitors who have taken him." This was Shake.

And as she fought her emotions the note unfolded, revealing the words at the end of the message she so regretted to see.

__

'Come alone, and involve no one else but yourself... If you don't, your beloved father dies.'

This time she let the tears come. She would rule later, she would be strong then, not now. This moment was time for her grief, and her pain. No one else told her otherwise.

* * * * *

__

'Be at the 4th back diversion alley, beyond Turtle's Paradise. 7:00 pm. Tonight it's 40, 000 gil. Come alone, and unarmed. Involve no one else but yourself... If you don't, your beloved father dies.'

Yuffie again screwed up the crumpled note, chucking it into the pocket of her hooded cloak which would conceal her from the light of people and other unnecessary prying eyes. She surveyed the twin bags in front of her on the bed, frowning at the amount of money that lay inside. 

__

You are strong, young one. Who had said that? Her father? Her mother before she… 

She bit her lip, and wiped at her nose. "Is it all there?"

Shake stepped in front of her, his face a mask of steel. "It is." There was an uncomfortable pause, then, "Are you really sure about this?"

Yuffie snorted despite herself. How could he ask that? Did she even need to tell him that her father's life rested on this? "Shake, I've had barely three hours to think this through, of course I'm not sure." The look on her aide's face clearly demonstrated that the answer he'd just received was not the one he'd been looking for. She sighed. "Look, right now we really don't have any choice. What would you do? Break in? Kill whoever the hell has him? Sure, you could try... But we don't even know where he is... Where I'm meeting this... thing tonight isn't necessarily any place special. We don't know anything!"

"Of course," was the sober reply. "You're right, but-"

The shorter ninja was interrupted as Staniv stepped into her room. "What if they're after you, too? Then what would we do? We would be a nation stripped of its rulers in but a day. It would be so easy - will you not let one of us go? It would be safer that way."

Shake nodded in concurrence. "If not _for_ you, then as a guard?"

Yuffie shook her head, lowering her hazel eyes. She pulled her hood up before the tears could come again and grabbed the bags. "This isn't about me. It's all about the money. We have no choice. It said come alone, and you two shouldn't have to ask about the consequences if I don't."

This time they both agreed with her, no matter how reluctantly. Yuffie looked at her watch and scowled. Fifteen minutes. That was plenty of time... but still. She wanted more than anything to get out of these confining halls, where she wouldn't have to be reminded of her failure to get to her father in time.

"I should go."

Turning on a resolute heel Yuffie went to her open window. She gazed intently out at the open darkness, wondering how much more evil was hidden beyond the stretch of Wutai's golden streetlights. From here she could see the final corner she'd turn to meet her father's abductor, but it all seemed so strange. Yuffie could feel the eyes on her back. _'A test,'_ she told herself, _'this is all a test. I will be strong. I have to be.'_ Quickly, she clambered over the side of the balcony before she could stop herself, pulling herself out onto the lattice, taking the bags with her. 

A short and sudden cough stopped her, and she looked up into Staniv's cool grey eyes. She saw the trust, the worry, and the fear he could not hide. It had always been that way, between the two of them. He was like a second father to her, the one that was always there; trusted, a friend…

But he would never replace the real one.

"I have to go."

"Be careful." 

She nodded, fearful that the large, overhanging brown hood did not hide the terror and unease in her eyes.

"And Yuffie?"

"Mm?" 

"You are strong, remember that. You can do this."

__

… You are strong, young one.

She smiled wanly, glad at least someone appeared outwardly sure of her, and continued to slide easily down the wired netting. Soon she was out of sight, slinking into the darkness and uncertainty itself that the night itself had wrought.

From the top of the makeshift stairwell, her assistants sighed, and eyed each other with nervous looks; their masks of calm long gone. 

"Do you think she'll be alright? She's unarmed, how will-"

"She will be fine." The words were far from reassuring. Staniv turned to the window, shutting it slightly, leaving it open just in case. He could not bring himself to close it fully. Not even a closed window could keep out the darkness of night.

* * * * *

Yuffie headed quickly to the selected meeting point. Her tears had dried out long ago, but the worry inside her had far from abated. Constantly her mind came out with limitless scenarios, all bent explicitly towards the worst possible outcome. It reeled with questions that she couldn't answer, it thought fast and viciously. She frowned at the negativity of her thoughts. Hadn't she always been the positive one in her family? Where was her hope now?

She searched her heart for faith, pushing aside the worry and anxiousness as much as she could.... But for the life of her, right now, she could find none.

* * * * *

Yuffie waited, glancing nervously at her watch. There was less than a minute to go; she was early, she knew, but her mind constantly plagued her with things she hoped weren't true. 

__

He's not coming, one voice told her. _He's leaving you here, waiting, until hope fails you and you give up. _

What are you waiting for? Go in and get him!

They've already killed your father...

They've got your father, your money, your ruler. What's to stop them from taking you?

"No," she whispered, shoving everything away. She palmed the wall, her expression dark. The voices resided gradually, and again she found herself looking at the scenery around her. _'Or lack thereof,'_ she thought. 

Yuffie leaned against the wall. It was quite clean, really... For an alley, that was, but the smell was disgusting. She wrinkled her nose and moved closer to the centre where she could see both ways should someone try to sneak up on her. All that resided in the dark, narrow back-route were a few bags of rubbish, one at each end. On edge, she wondered what was here that she couldn't see. She looked left. Nothing. Right; the same. Relaxing slightly, the ninja wearily tipped her head back, closing her eyes.

"Drop the bags. Arms where I can see them. Wouldn't want to have to blindfold your pretty face," came a distinctively male voice.

Yuffie jumped, dropping the pouches instinctively. She looked up and scowled inside, wondering why she hadn't heard anything at all. Her eyes flicked around, up, then down wildly, but there was no one else. Internally, she cursed herself for being so distracted. She was better than this... she was a ninja... 

The man laughed and pulled out a knife, and for a second she thought Staniv was right. He was going to kill her, or take her and hold the others to ransom...

But the man only laughed a second time and grabbed the bags, weapon poised as a security factor in case she made any sudden moves. The ninja nearly rolled her eyes but focussed instead, on the man. 

__

Watch, observe, Yuffie. Don't let your eyes fool you. The target is there, just less accessible… 

She watched with falsely icy eyes as he opened one bag, and then the other. Narrowing her chocolate depths Yuffie took her chance to survey the man. His black clothing and thick balaclava revealed little, though more than the block-written note had. He was tall, she could tell, almost gigantously so. His shoulders were wide and even in the dim light she could see the vest he wore was only a small fraction of his size. She could see no trace of hair under the under face mask, but that didn't mean there was none. He seemed made of muscle. Powerful.

Even the strongest target can be felled when weakened… 

She stayed silent, waiting.

When the abductor seemed satisfied he closed the bags, and Yuffie forced herself to meet his eyes. She couldn't see their colour in the darkness, but she could see a mark just under his eyelid. A scar? _'Come on, you faced that punk Sephiroth, you can do this...'_ But her heart was full of doubt. A voice returned her thoughts, negative, blunt. _But Sephiroth didn't take your father, and you didn't have to face him alone..._

Be strong…

"Where's my father?" She felt she couldn't wait any longer, and the words were out of her mouth before she could stop him. She barely recognised the voice. In impatience, the ninja wrung her fingers together, her knuckles white. She waited for a few seconds, but the man did not answer. "What have you done with him?" Her hands itched for her Conformer as she saw his eyes twinkle with amusement.

"We'll see." There was evidence of a smile under his disguise. Yuffie desperately tried to place the accent, but couldn't. She'd heard it before... it was common... but she couldn't tell. Then, something was roughly shoved into her hands, and she grasped at it, feeling paper compress in her tight-fisted stance. She looked down. It was another note.

"You will return tomorrow. Same time." He nodded toward the envelope. "The location is on there. I don't think I need to tell you what's at stake."

And then he was gone, and no matter what she did her voice would not come. She watched him go, presumably back from the way he came. Her eyes closed tightly and she struggled to stay on her feet. She hadn't found out anything. She was useless. A tear slipped unbidden out of her eyes, and she slipped to the ground, suddenly drained. The others could wait. Right now she wanted nothing more than to sleep, and hope everything was better in the morning. But then she paused.

__

'What would father think if he saw me now?'

You're strong… Tell me, daughter, why did you fail? What mistake did you make?

She frowned as the old memory returned fully, and instantly she knew. She had found out nothing, and for all she knew, her father was dead. She had gone into this blindly. Such a huge amount of money and worry for nothing. She scowled and stood, imagining her father standing over her in the dojo, his face fair but serious. 

And she knew. Next time she would be stronger. 

Tomorrow she would find out more.

She would make her father proud...

Make him free.

~*~*~*~*~*~


	9. Seek and You Shall Find

****

By Word of Mouth, 

By Ealinesse 

_____________________________________________

DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are not even in the story yet, though I do claim right to them when they pop up._

****

WARNINGS: _Maybe a little language._

****

FEEDBACK:_ Yes please! Reviews are always welcome ^_^_

****

AUTHOR'S NOTES:_ The story should be hotting up very soon - in the next chapter or so, and you'll get some answers to questions. Hope you enjoy!_

****

_____________________________________________

Chapter Nine: Seek and You Shall Find...

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The acrid smell from when he first walked into the office was enough to tell Reno that this was going to make for a very interesting day. Not only that, but the state of the Parole Administration Block was good enough to convince him of that, if at all he had felt any doubt upon the first fact. He himself might like to keep his files on the floor where he didn't have to deal with them, but Reno highly doubted other people would. 

Reno sighed and stepped briefly outside to get some fresh air, then moved quickly back in to avoid the public eye. He did a quick once-over, checking everything. No body, no blood - only a lot of papers scattered everywhere. He didn't even need to look to find that the monitoring console, attached directly to Carlos's tracker-chain, was in pieces. The man was gone, that was all there was to it.

He wished he could come to the conclusion that his nose was fooling him into believing that there was a dead person somewhere here, but he knew for a fact that there were two more rooms to search. And the smell was only getting stronger. Avoiding the papers for the moment Reno made note to check the records later, for nothing else seemed to be misplaced but a filing cabinet that looked to be about a metre away from its old resting place. Stepping with light feet over the haphazard papers, Reno turned to the right from the entrance and moved down a small corridor, quickly reaching the door at the end. Counting to three in his head, Reno swung open the door with one arm, gun poised ready in the other, but was met with nothing other than a tidy office, which was basked with the bright natural light of the morning. 

"Two down, one to go," he muttered, inside knowing just what the third room would bring. He crept back the way he had been going, scowling as his feet crunched and crackled on the papers he had been trying so hard to avoid destroying.

He reached the other office quickly and outstretched his arm for the door handle, frowning. The smell only got stronger and he held his breath, allowing himself the uncommon luxury of readying himself for the sight - something he would never do if other people were around. The door almost seemed to open itself of its own accord as the Turk stepped back. He turned away quickly, his cool, open mask of indifference gone. He holstered his gun as he pulled his shirt collar up over his mouth. Taking a second to look around the 'tidier' room, he turned back, breathing heavily at the accumulated stench. He didn't know how long the body had been in there, but it's cause of death was more than evident. Blood loss, for sure.

"Well, I guess that explains the lack of communication between us," Reno sighed, surveying the bloody area with disdain. The storeroom, once a uniform white, was strewn in vivid streaks of red. Like in the main office countless paper files were scattered everywhere. Cabinets surrounding the speckled walls - locked ones - had been bashed open, most likely by the culprit trying to get what was inside. The floor was badly stained, the walls less so. In the middle of it all was the man who Reno had met many times, who had been a loyal consultant and aide to the new Shinra for its short, three-year life. 

__

'Not anymore,' Reno thought. He grimaced at the sight and turned back to the office, running a hand through his hair. To take his mind off the image of the body he began searching the files, leaving the dead man there, untouched, for evidence. As an employee of Shinra he would have been blind not to know what kind of files they kept in offices such as this. He knew of their importance to the officers, and his company, and to the people who held them. But what would anyone else want with them? He almost certainly knew that this was directly related to Carlos.

It took Reno the better part of an hour to sort out what was missing, and that which didn't turn up confused him even more. He made up a quick list and double-checked it, thinking of what should be where in the office. Everything was there except for Wutai's parole folder. Reno winced. That folder contained explicit data of criminals released in the area, including their current whereabouts. If Carlos had somehow gotten his hands on the folder and created an agenda worthy of them, then…

Reno frowned. He wouldn't get any more answers here.

Reno had a feeling of utter deja vu when he walked into the small, inconspicuous office on the other side of town. The smell was the same, and so was the sight, though the body wasn't so well hidden.

"Just great," he muttered, his tone sour. This all boded for a hell of a lot more work on his part. 

Despite his words, he really wasn't surprised. The body lay in a pool of its own blood, lying bonelessly in it's chair, it's arms draped lifelessly over the sides, useless and quite dead. Again the cause of death was abundantly clear. He looked up, noting that the curtains behind the man were pulled, and the office room was quite dark as the early morning sunlight was withheld from it.

For the second time that morning Reno began another search, more than depressed about the amount of time he was spending examining paperwork. It was something he liked to avoid under most circumstances, and he usually did it only when necessary. Right now was one such situation, but if it helped him solve the puzzle that Carlos had recklessly left for him, then so be it. Just as long as Rude and Elena didn't catch him doing so. That would be a true disaster. 

This time the Turk found nothing missing, and he quickly headed back through the streets after listing what was located there. He dropped in on the Police Station, and found no one there, which surprised him. He thought nothing of it and instead left a brief note, hoping that they wouldn't take it too cryptically. They knew who he was, at any rate. He had made sure of that on his last visit.

With nothing much left to do Reno wandered the streets. He was due to start his watch tonight, but still didn't know where Carlos was residing. Nor would he unless he did something about it. Grabbing some food from a stall Reno headed back to where he'd last seen Carlos yesterday, hoping against hope that he'd find some trace of the man, even though in a rapidly growing city such as Wutai the chances were rather slim.

Roughly two hours, four coffees and one bottle of beer later Reno thanked whatever god there was in heaven for the size of the man he was to be following. He hadn't noticed him at first but quickly spotted him in the lunchtime rush as he cast a quick glance over his shoulder. He immediately picked up his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and dissolved into the crowd after him, his eyes rooted to the back of the man's head. 

It didn't take long for him to lose him. Yesterday, even though it had been busy, the crowds hadn't quite been so packed. Carlos was gone, and no matter how crowd surfing he was going to do was going to get him back. But he _had_ spotted the man here twice in the past twenty-four hours, and that was good enough for him.

Reno took a seat and began waiting, knowing imminently that this was going to make for one very long day.

* * * * *

Reno sat back in his temporary seat, his dark glasses hiding any expression in his eyes. He'd found the man twice, only to have him double back on him and return quickly in the direction he'd been going. He always lost him in a second set of buildings beyond the market; and tracking anyone in a crowd like this was like trying to navigate a labyrinth through molasses. In the end, about five minutes ago, he'd sat back on a park bench across the road and purchased a newspaper without really thinking, meaning to sit down and watch until Carlos came out again. There was a good chance he wouldn't be noticed, as the industrial area this time of day was bustling with activity.

An hour later he still hadn't spotted anything, and he was sure that he'd missed about as much. Looking to the sky, Reno sighed as it began to cloud. He folded the newspaper and shoved it under his arm. 

"Absolutely fucking nothing," he muttered. Perhaps it was high time he headed back to his room. He would try tonight, perhaps, and sneak around the area in the dark where no one would see him people like Carlos would look more out of place. Perhaps then, he would find something.

After a full day's work, Reno began to scavenge through his bag for something to eat, his eyes diverted from the paths even though he knew exactly where he was going. This was why he never noticed what was coming his way until it was too late.

"Hey!"

The Turk stumbled backwards and dropped his newspaper. It fell to the paved ground with a thud, but it was the least of his worries. He looked up into the wide eyes of a young man, his glasses hiding his look of displeasure. He was about to say something when arrogant when he realised he'd seen this man before. 

Reno frowned. "I know you."

The man seemed to gulp and bumbled a quick apology before turning away. Reno sped forward and grabbed onto his sleeve before he could make a break, and the shorter man struggled briefly before stopping. He gave in and looked up at the Turk, his eyes narrowed and frightened

"You're the guy that I cured in the back alley..."

"... Yeah."

Reno smirked, wondering why everything always happened when he was about to go home. "I don't believe you thanked me."

"I - who are you?"

Reno grinned at the man's clueless face and lifted his sunglasses onto the top of his head, adopting a more feral, icy look. His cool, Mako eyes glinted in the cooling afternoon sun - quite deliberately on his part - but the vivid colour of them was more than enough to hint at his identity. No normal person had eyes like that.

Reno's grin widened at the recognition in the man's eyes. "You're Shinra? Wh-what do you want with me?"

"That man who beat you yesterday... you know him?"

"Yeah." The Turk followed the man's eyes round and took a second to analyse him. He certainly looked better than he had yesterday, but a sheen of barely visible sweat clung to his forehead and upper lip. His mop of dark hair was unkempt and dreading. He looked unshaven, pale, like he hadn't showered in a while. Jittery, his pale hands wrung tightly together as his emerald eyes darted shiftily around the area, watching warily for something - or someone, Reno ascertained. 

"You're nervous," Reno stated bluntly. There was no point beating around the bush. "Why?"

Suddenly the green eyes focussed, staring directly at him. They were serious, and very sane. "We can't talk here."

"Why not?" Reno's eyes narrowed. "What's going on?"

But he wasn't answered with anything other than a brief, "Follow me," before the man took off. Picking up the paper that he'd dropped the Turk followed, glad at least that although this man was rather slight, and a lot smaller, he was a lot easier to track than Carlos.

They pulled into an alley, and the man sunk onto an old garbage bag. Reno decided that the select location smelled almost as bad as the bodies he'd found this morning; but he didn't say anything. He was all-too interested with what this guy had to say for himself. Adopting a look of cold apathy, the Turk leaned against the cool stone-slate wall, ignoring the grime that it would no doubt rub onto his already rumpled suit.

"Who are you?"

The man ignored the question. "What do you want with me?"

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

Reno snickered. "Don't give me that shit... Carlos."

"H-how do - you only want to know _where_ he is?"

Reno cocked his head to the side. "There's more that he's done, isn't there?"

"Well..."

"Tell me."

"I can't." 

The redhead reached into his jacket and pulled his gun out from the shoulder holster, showing it only enough to the man so it was clearly evident what he held in his grasp. "Tell me."

"I told you... I c-can't. He'll kill me."

"Just like he beat you yesterday?" Reno snickered. "I'll save him the favour and do it right now if you don't tell me what's going on. Nobody would even know..." He left the threat hanging and leaned back, raising his chin in a semi-snarl.

"I - no!" Suddenly, the man bolted. He darted out of Reno's reach, too quickly for the Turk to follow. The next thing he knew, Reno was speeding out of the alley, chasing the man, this time unconcerned what others thought of what he was doing. He needed that information. But it was too late. The man was gone - around the corner and out of sight as quickly as he'd appeared. Any hopes he'd had of doing things the easy ways disappeared with the man.

Gone, just like that.

"The story of my life," Reno muttered under his breath, before heading back to Carlos's last-known location. Putting his midnight glasses back on to cover his eyes he scowled and stepped back out into the recovering sunlight. "Ah well. Back to doing things the hard way, I guess."

* * * * *

It was dusk and so far he'd found nothing. Again. Roughly, that translated as zip, zilch, zero, and nada.

"Well that solves what I'll be doing tonight." Reno stood from his seated position and stretched his long limbs, letting out a relieved sigh. In a way he'd been kind of glad that he'd been unable to locate the man. His muscles had needed the rest; he still felt slightly achy from the past few days and would have been grateful for a sleep in. Although that hadn't entirely happened, Reno felt relaxed, and more than rested.

Checking the sky for signs of drizzle, which had come and gone as quickly as the mysterious stranger, he was relieved to find the air clearing, and although the wind was icy, the sun could be seen from behind a thin sheet of white cloud. Rubbing his neck the Turk turned and left, looking forward to nothing more than a cold beer.

He waved down a cab on the street edge and was soon back at the local Inn. Acknowledging the receptionist with a brief grin, Reno topped the stairs to the second storey, and rummaged through his bag for the key to his room. He stepped inside, relishing the differing wave of warmth. But those comforting thoughts lasted only a few seconds, before he felt something under foot, which definitely wasn't carpet. He looked down and frowned at the piece of paper on the floor. It was out of place in such a strictly uniform room, and the Turk could have sworn that it hadn't been there before. 

Crouching, Reno negligently closed the door behind him with an eblow, and didn't spare it a second glance, instead skim-reading what he now made out to be a note.

__

'12th Back alley, Building Two. 17:45. Be out of sight or I cannot guarantee your safety..'

Reno stood and looked around, suddenly intensely aware of the silence around him. His vivid eyes scanned the room but came up with nothing more than what he'd first found. He looked back, and frowned. The door had been locked when he entered, so the message could have been thrust under the door. It obviously hadn't been tampered with. Reno tugged at his lip in thought. He had no doubt of who had given him the note, but how could the mysterious man have known his room, or his location? He'd only seen him for the first time yesterday, and had had nothing to do with him otherwise. 

Had he been being followed yesterday and not noticed? Was this man the only one who knew his location?

Reno shivered with a sudden chill, chafing his arms as he pocketed the note, although the room was really quite warm. He needed to find out just what was going on in Wutai, but didn't like how all of a sudden he was drawn into the scheme of things. Being noticed was not something Reno liked, especially on a case where he was supposed to remain more than inconspicuous. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and downed it quickly, soon onto a second. Thinking hard, he tried to foresee what would happen in the next few days, but all of a sudden, things weren't looking so straightforward after all. 

No longer did this appear to be a simple surveillance mission.

But one thing was clear: he would go to the location tonight. He _would_ stop and check things out in the alley, and he _would_ find out what was going on.

He only hoped Reeve knew just how much shit he was most likely to get himself into.

* * * * *

Yuffie stared out at the dark of the night, glad that the forest green cloak she wore withheld at least some of the cold. She squared her shoulders as she thought of what was to come, and readjusted the expensive bags in her grip, taking a moment to rub the sweat from her palms. Resettling her hood, she moved onward, avoiding eyes and ignoring anyone she should come into contact with. She kept her face carefully neutral as she stuck like glue to the rarity of shadow, hoping no one spotted her face when she had no choice but to cross into the light.

Eventually, she reached the location where she had been last night, but instead of stopping she moved a short distance further - to the 8th Back Alley. She noticed that this time, the nameless kidnapper was drawing her further into the alley, away from the safe beacon of the streetlights. Here she had no need to worry about other people, for where she was moving to was quite commonly devoid of anything but rats. Nothing could cover the alley's smell, or its mess.

Again, she reached the place before the man - or assumed that she did, seeing as there was no sign of him. No longer caring about the foul fetor of the back-route, she sat down on a rotting rubbish bag, although she couldn't withhold a wince as she felt the squish of god-only-knew-what through the plastic against her hand. 

Yuffie shuddered as a brief chill ran down her spine, and she pulled the cloak closer, abandoning the sacks and shoving her hands into her pockets for a moment of warmth. Her icy hand closed around the man's latest note, and she scowled, bringing it out to where she could see it. The faint outline of the text blurred together in a bout of general confusion as the moon struggled to illuminate the thin paper, but she knew the exact location of each and every word, space, and letter. The ninja ran her finger over where she knew her father's name to be and smiled, bowing her head. The note said she'd see proof that her father was alive, tonight. Did that mean she'd meet him here? 

Yuffie didn't know what she had expected. But the solo man, by himself at the head of the alley, with nothing other than his balaclava and dark vest was not it. Yuffie stood abruptly, pushing aside her nervousness and diappointment and grabbed at the bags.

"Where's my father?"

"Now, now. There's plenty of time for that. First, the money."

"Where-"

"The money, or no go."

The ninja scowled and looked down at the heavy bags in her hands. She clutched them to her chest and frowned up at the man under her growing fringe, her hazel eyes narrowed, annoyed. She watched as the knife came out, and then offered the money. He took it, and again sorted it thoroughly, in the end seemingly contented that she hadn't cheated him.

"Good." His thin lips - or what Yuffie could actually see of them - twisted into a grotesque smile, and his white teeth were instantly illuminated in the moonlight.

"Where's my-"

"The first location was a test." 

Yuffie drew back, confused. 

"You passed, by the way. You get this." The man suddenly snatched something from inside his vest, and Yuffie ducked as it sailed toward her, unsure. This antic brought a harsh laugh from the large man, and she cursed her weakness. 

"Are you not going to pick it up?"

She did so, but cautiously. Feeling damp cloth against her fingers her lips pursed in confusion. "What would I want with this?"

"You don't recognise it?"

Yuffie lifted her arms and cocked her head to the side, trying to examine what it was. An ingrained kink was worn into the thin sheet, and she pressed her fingers against it. There was another at the other end. Unsure, she looked to the man, who was quite clearly more than a little amused. She raised it higher into the air and finally caught a glint of gun-metal grey ingrained with a deep green. A round embroidered emblem stood out clearly on the silken fabric, and she craned her neck to look closer. 

Recognition shone in her eyes as she took in the symbols that represented the Five Gods. She whipped around to face the criminal. "My father's sash!"

"Clever girl." The voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Why do you have this? Where is my father!"

The criminal leaned forward, his revealed eyes intense. "Think."

"I..."

"Your father is from a long generation of proud ninja. Am I correct?"

"Yes, but-"

"What does a ninja's sash mean to him?"

Yuffie bit her lip, suddenly thoughtful. 

Never forget, Yuffie, that a ninja's sash is its very existence… 

She fiddled with the ornate fabric in her hands, wrapping it around her palms. "It is his mind, and power. My father would never take this off-"

"Exactly! Without this sash, your father does not exist. He is not a ninja, not anything. His rights are taken away, by your law. He is no longer a warrior-"

It is his very embodiment. Never lose this, Yuffie, it was your mother's… 

"You're lying. He would not take this off willingly - for anyone." Just then, she felt something odd, and examined the cincture closer. Any outrage she had previously felt at his deception was replaced by fear. "There's blood on this!"

"Not to worry. He got a little bit frisky, we had to hit him over the head." His face contorted into a wince, though there was no sympathy in the gaze. "Made an awful mess..."

Yuffie felt her blood run cold, and she swallowed back a gulp. "You're lying. He's dead."

The man's eyes flashed. "You would accuse me of killing him so early?"

"Obviously. If you kidnap a man you have no concern for his wellbeing."

"Then you don't know how this is little game is going to work at all, do you."

Yuffie felt a firm pool of dread settle in the pit of her stomach. "What do you mean?"

But it was too late and the man began to walk away, uncaring of whether he had left an opponent alive behind him. Not that it mattered much anyway. 

"Hey," she called. "What do you mean?"

He turned abruptly, spinning on his heel and throwing something too fast for her to see. It whizzed past her ear and struck the crumbly alley wall behind her with a loud clang, before falling noisily to the mucky concrete ground.

"Don't piss me off, girl. You don't know what you're messing with."

Yuffie tried hard to catch her breath, but found herself shaking despite her trained reflexes. That shot was something she had not been ready for. She covered it up with, "That was a narrow miss."

She clearly heard the man mutter, "And a miss it was..." before he left.

Turning, Yuffie collected and examined the knife in the dim glow of the pale moon. In that light, it looked completely unremarkable, but she knew the proud engravings that ran down the blade like the back of her hand. She knew the end of the palm-size hilt, and the small compartment it contained. She also knew whose it was. 

She was about to holster her father's weapon when something rattled, and she loosened the end. Unsure of what the inside object was, she walked out of the alleyway and into the streetlight. Her heart sank, and her anger rose again. It was paper... another note. 

Sitting down on a nearby park bench, the ninja narrowed her eyes to stop the tears. He had tricked her, and in the end made her both hopeful and curious at the same time. She had made a mistake by getting him angry. Looking down at the thin parchment settled on her lap, she put her head in her hands. How long was this going to go on? How long could one pay someone before the novelty wore off? Was her father still alive? Was it at all plausible for her, a leader of a nation of the moment, to continue to think so?

Tell me, Yuffie. Why again, did you fail? You need to learn from your mistakes, and the opportunities they offer. 

Yuffie squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head, gratified that the hood hid her identity and grief from the curious eyes just out of her reach. Dazedly, she knew the answers to all of those questions, but also knew she did not want to accept them. She wasn't ready for the answers yet. Accepting them answers meant embracing the likelihood of her father's death....

And her weakness.

…Tell me, young one, why did you fail again? 

She scowled. Had she not told herself she would be strong tonight? Had she not said she wouldn't fail? She still had found out nothing! With a bitter last look back at the alleyway, Yuffie stood and hurriedly headed back to her home, the beginnings of an idea forming in her head. 

Tomorrow would have to make up for it all, and with some help, she imagined she knew just how...

* * * * *


	10. And So We Meet Again

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By Word of Mouth,

By Ealinesse

_____________________________________________

DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. I do own Carlos, and his little goonies, however, even though I may not like them much at times..._

****

WARNINGS: _Maybe a little language._

****

FEEDBACK:_ Yes please! Reviews are always welcome ^_^_

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(very short) AUTHOR'S NOTES:_ ... at end of chapter._

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_____________________________________________

Chapter Ten: And So We Meet Again...

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Shake frowned, folding his arms across his chest as he watched the ninja before him pack with a hidden purpose. Her hands moved methodically, rearranging the items inside to look more believable. Her face was stony, the set of her mouth determined. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Yuffie sighed and continued checking the bags over, trying to conceal the bulk of the solid object that was hidden by the flimsy canvas cloth. "What was my answer on the first night, Shake?"

"You know what I mean. This is a different situation entirely."

"How si?"

"What if he checks the bag early? You know you're meeting him at the end of the alley, and-"

"I'll step back. It'll trigger only if he opens it. He never does straight away, and both times he's stepped away from me just for distance."

"You're sure."

Yuffie looked up and stared blankly at the wall above her bed, careful not to jostle the explosives inside. She exhaled and counted to ten, then, fastening the two bags together, she turned to face the man behind her, her shoulders rigid. She noticed the worried expression on his face, ignored the doubt he hid. She knew it was there, all the same. 

"You don't believe I can do this without messing up?"

"Of course I do."

Despite herself, Yuffie offered a wry grin. "Right." She turned to leave the room, but Staniv stopped her as he entered.

"Where do you think you're going?"

The young ninja rolled her eyes. "So now you're ganging up on me, too?"

"You know what I mean. You have another twenty minutes before you even need to think about leaving."

She lowered her eyes. "I need time to think."

"It's best not to. You had time enough to do that. I know you didn't sleep last night because the guards heard you crashing around in your room. You were angry, and you didn't even hear Shake or I knocking on your door. You may as well wait and have us to talk to. Calm down. If you're angry, he'll see it. If you keep eyeing those bags worriedly like you are now, he'll see it. He'll also use it against you. From what you've said already he doesn't trust you. Don't give him a reason not to."

"Making sense as always," Yuffie muttered. But she knew Staniv was right. Behind her, she could imagine Shake was nodding as well. Thinking would only make her question her resolve. But what's more, it would make her more angry. Angry that he'd doubted her. Angry that everyone did. Angry that Carlos had deceived her twice, and she'd learnt nothing but how callous and arrogant he was. She was angry at her father, too, though she couldn't tell why. 

But more than anything, she was worried. They didn't know whether Godo was still alive. In fact, they were counting on the complete opposite... And right now she could not believe it was her that had come up with the idea. 

She couldn't afford to let herself belief he was alive, because if Carlos survived this, then… No. She had to be neutral party. There could be no discussion on the matter, and although she longed not to do this, for her father's sake, she knew she had to prove herself. Yuffie scowled and unconsciously clenched a fist. Her father's life was no a mere game to be toyed with. Carlos was going to pay for this, one way or the other. She could not afford to think about what she could lose as a result.

"Stop worrying." This came from Staniv, and Yuffie let her shoulders slump as she was directed over to a nearby seat. "You can't have time to think about this."

"I know."

"You cannot let your resolve waver."

"I know."

"You cannot-"

"Staniv?"

"Yes, Miss Yuffie?"

"I've known the four rules since I was three." 

Staniv merely nodded with a small smile, and placed his hands across his lap. They lapsed into silence and Yuffie bowed her head, playing with the crisp fabric of the bag. A hand slapped hers away, and she looked up into the cool grey eyes of her aide. 

"Leave it."

"But-"

"Yet you still worry."

The ninja felt sudden tears prick at her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. She wrung her hands together, ignoring the whiteness of the knuckles. She pressed her lips together and quickly released the painful grip on her hands and the emotions that it brought, instead playing with the emerald stone in her ear - the one her father had given her for her last birthday; the one her mother had owned, that her father had given her years before...

"Now look at me," she groaned, "I would have made it without crying if I had left before."

"You're sure of that?" Yuffie raised an eyebrow, and she saw Shake smile from the back of the room.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that question?"

Staniv offered a minuscule smile. "Because they do not like the answer you give them."

"But it's the truth."

"I know. But does it make you or anyone else feel any better by admitting it?"

"It isn't supposed to." She cause the corner of Staniv's mouth twitch, and continued. "How can I be sure if what I'm doing is right. I feel like I am condemning him to death, I-"

Before her fears and doubts could consume her, however, Staniv cut in, vanquishing all room for quandary. "You said so yourself,that you cannot afford to believe he is alive. They may threaten you, but you said that it could mean everything and nothing at the same time. Their words are nothing, and they have offered you no proof of anything except harm. You cannot believe them. They hurt your father, and you cannot believe he is alive. This deserves punishment. This is for Wutai. This is for your nation."

Shake stepped forward and knelt before her. "You are stronger than you might think."

Yuffie snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Right."

The ninja downcast her eyes and moved to her bed, where her shuriken lay in its case. It was time to do something. If she was busy, then she knew she'd have no time to think. Removing it, Yuffie hid it this time her jacket, but she did not remove the heavy cloak from its hook, it would hamper her movement should she need her speed. She had no cause to worry. The man had not checked her for weapons the two previous times. She guessed, though, she had looked too weak to even bother searching. At least one thing had worked to her advantage; she knew she would not be weak tonight, although that was what he would expect.

All she had to be, was strong...

You are strong… 'Right.' 

"You doubt yourself." 

She smirked, remembering Staniv's cryptic answer from only moments before. Her strength of resolve solidified under his gaze. "Not anymore."

"Good. You can do this, just remember that you can have no doubt. Repeat to me what you are doing."

And she did, like she had repeated the steps of her kata when she was learning them as a child. Staniv's eyes shone with some indefinable emotion, and she knew instantly that it was at the coldness and neutrality that she had repeated her task with; that it was from the very thought of the upcoming act itself. Yuffie sighed. She couldn't help it... there was no other way for her to try not to care. She knew Staniv's misgivings about this, but in the end he had agreed, as had the others. That Wutai still had an heir was all that mattered. Not her aide's opinion; not her father's life; not her feelings.

She left before her faith could fall, and before the telltale tears began to fall. That man had hurt her father, and now she would hurt him back. A lot... for she had all of Wutai behind her. 

This was for them, whether they knew it or not.

Not her father.

Not her.

Wutai.

The implications and repercussions of tonight's advancing actions had yet to fall upon her, and with a last examination of the bulky explosives concealed by the canvas bags, she sped down the back-alleys to her destination.

* * * * *

The night-time weather was, as the Turk had initially observed, far from fine. Dark clouds loomed overhead and were very close to concealing the moon - the only light the Turk had to go by. His nightvision goggles, it so turned out, had been broken also when the cabin had fallen, along with his nightstick. He had nothing else, and now he was relying on nature to persevere. Of course it was only natural that it would let him down, too.

__

'Well,' Reno decided glumly, _'At least it isn't raining.'_

Sparing only the briefest glance up into the clouds, Reno surveyed what he hoped would be a little bit of harmless weather. As he exhaled, his breath created a small haze that dissipated seconds later. He rubbed his hands together, which were still cold despite the gloves he now wore. He would much rather be at home with a warm coffee, but that was the way his so-called luck ran. Instead he had received a second note under the door, telling him exactly where he was supposed to be; the same place, coincidentally, at the same time. But under his own initiative he had decided to come an hour and a half early, in case something eventful happened. 

In which case, Reno realised, it was.

Quite secretly throughout the alley came the odd, minuscule movement. They were not such as the ones created by the chill breeze that whipped through the alleys, either, or the ruffling of the rubbish bags as rats and mice scavenged through them. Every now and then Reno would catch the familiar glimpse of light reflecting off cool steel, and then a swish of dark, dull fabric. The movement was minimal but he knew it was there. In fact, if he had arrived not fifteen minutes earlier, he was sure that he would have seen the men move into their hiding spots in the most darkened shadows of the alley. Though, he decided, any fool could have seen the weapons from his vantage point.

Reno held no delusions about what was going on. He had seen the cloaked figure exchange money with Carlos last night, and he had seen the person leave with some small item in their hands, though he had not seen what. Towards the end of the brief meeting – for it couldn't have been any more than ten minutes that each person was here – Reno had seen Carlos pitch a knife at the person of slighter stature. It had missed, but from the looks of things it had been intentional. He had also seen the person pick it up, though he had little idea of what it was to do with. It had become clear earlier that this was no drug exchange, and the occasional tones that wafted up to his rooftop let him know that this was more than a little personal. But the voices had been muffled, and he had been able to gather very little information. He was hoping for better luck tonight.

And _if_ he gained what he needed, then he'd be able to merely watch the man, not traverse around in search for information. Waiting for Rude and Elena sounded a lot better than _working_ until Rude and Elena arrived.

… But for some reason his gut was telling him to stay. By the looks of the men here now something big was going down tonight. He only had to wait to find out.

Reno shook his head, switching his mind back to the issue at hand. He surveyed the area around him, making a mental note of the positions of the men. There were four of them that he could tell, and none were Carlos. He assumed he was inside, like he had been last night. The rubbish piled up on each side of the looming metal door hid two men reasonable well. Every so often he could see them wriggle uncomfortably on the spot. There was also the occasional noise, communication. The hand signals were easy enough to read by themselves. One flick of the wrist for stay, two for move. 

There were two others further down, opposite each other in the middle of the alleyway. From his side of the very uncomfortable rooftop Reno could see the one posted under a broken glass window, about four metres from the door. The other was directly under him, and opposite the man under the window. Reno couldn't see him, but at times, when the miniscule lighting was right, he could hear him. They were all waiting for a signal, and by the way they were watching the door, he guessed it was going to come from Carlos.

And that brought up more questions. If Carlos had the manpower, where had he gotten it from? The public parole files? Had Carlos tracked down men and conned them into working for him for money? Or was he holding something worse above their heads, like family? Reno scowled, knowing it made sense. The old Shinra had done that to him, and he didn't have to even try to remember the lengths he'd gone to, to keep them safe. He knew the parole files contained family parties, and psychiatric evaluations. It was cruel, but it was the way the world worked. Something he had learnt the hard way. Another advantage to Carlos.

This wasn't looking good.

Reno looked down, about to focus on the door once again, when a movement out of the corner of his eye made his stop. Without the cloak it was painfully obvious who this figure was, and what she was doing here. Reno bit back a groan. He wasn't completely uninformed; he knew Yuffie's father had been missing, and now why she had been acting so strangely. But the papers had mentioned nothing about a ransom, only that he had been missing.

Reno scowled, eyeing the weapons glinting off the moonlight, and then looking back to Yuffie. He knew she hadn't seen them, she was too focussed on her own thoughts for that. He knew who they were going to kill, and although he was here for surveillance, he knew he had to stop this. Now that everything made sense he had to get Yuffie out of here before she got hurt. If not… well, it didn't bode good for him, or her.

Muttering silent expletives through frozen lips, Reno began to skulk across the rooftops and down the ladder on the other side of the building, where he could head to where Yuffie was located. He only hoped he wasn't too late. Unholstering his gun as he reachd the end of the steps, he couldn't help but think perhaps his luck had changed.

Maybe this mission wouldn't be such a bitch after all.

"Yeah, good one."

* * * * *

Yuffie entered the alleyway and narrowed eyes, scanning for trouble. There was nothing she could see, but that didn't mean anything. The mist and cloud had long since covered the moon and it was getting harder and harder to see. She knew this was the end of the alley, though. Instead of more twists and turns and alternate routes there were old buildings, ancient wooden factories, many of them condemned. 

Her curiosity at the location peaked, and she found herself drawn toward the metal door she could see at the end. As it was she was over ten minutes early. Yuffie took a reluctant step forward as she eyed the forbidding door at the end, but looked down when something crunched under her foot. Broken glass from a shattered window had fallen into the alley, she decided, glistening like tiny gems in the moonlight. 

It was only then that she noticed the shadow that fell across her vision. She made a motion and began to turn, but too late. 

A cold hand clamped itself across her mouth and the ninja suppressed a muffled scream, knowing it would do her no good in such a place. Another hand wrapped itself around her ribs, pinning her arms by her sides. All too soon she felt herself being dragged painfully backward, the heels of her shoes scraping loudly over the broken concrete.

Too slow her instincts kicked in, and the cold fear that had taken residence in her belly was pushed to the back of her mind as she struggled against her unknown captor's strong arms. Her mind was confused, terrified, and she had no knowledge of the surroundings around her. Her feet kicked out suddenly of their own accord, and she heard a muffled exhalation of breath as a shot hit its target dead-on. 

She was too busy fighting for her own free will that she did not notice she'd dropped the rigged bags when she'd been caught.

After a while she ceased struggling, and it took her a moment to realise that they'd stopping moving. Her eyes wide, Yuffie felt the warm breath of her captor against her cheek. A glint of hair blew across her line of sight in the breeze, and she knew by the sheer length and colour that it was not her own. Her eyes narrowed and suddenly common sense prevailed. She found a finger to gnaw at with her teeth, and once she had the grip, she bit down and did not let go. 

The hand over her mouth was removed briefly as she felt the mysterious person cuff her lightly over the head. Her grip was released as she found her mouth free, and she opened it to yell something, but it was at once concealed again. She understood instantly. The person was trying to shut her up, not hurt her. But that did not stop her struggling. Another kick hit home, and then another. 

"Will you quit kicking me, stay still and shut the hell up?"

The ninja stopped dead at the familiar, richly accented voice. She tried to turn her head but found it held firm as it was pressed against his chest. 

"Yes or no."

Yuffie managed a tight, curt nod against the restraining hand and then it was gently released. Suddenly free, the ninja propelled herself out of the confining grip and spun around. The angular face and dancing, glowing eyes were painfully familiar. She matched the familiar face to the voice, and scowled. Her own could not hide her obvious confusion. "Reno?" 

"The one and only."

Sudden rage filled the nervous ninja, and she stepped forward, gesturing her hand to the sky in an effort to revolt her fright of only moments before. "What the hell were you thinking?" she whispered hoarsely. "I don't have time for your stupid games!" Yuffie's anger hid her relief at the knowledge of her momentous captor, but why she was relieved to see the Turk of all people was beyond her. 

Then she stopped. Though she could come up with quite a few reasons why Reno would be in an alley, she knew none of them were founded. She frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Shh!"

"Shh, yourself," Yuffie muttered, and looked from Reno to her watch. She turned to go back, knowing whom that noise would have spawned from. She was about to leave him standing there, but before she could do so the Turk darted in front of her, effectively cutting her exit off. When she tried to push past him a firm grip on her arm stopped her in her tracks, and she turned back to the redhead, who was unconsciously nursing his injured finger with his free hand. An amused smile played across his face, but there was something serious in his Mako gaze that the ninja could not place.

"What do you want?"

Reno shrugged cryptically. "Why leave? You have ten minutes before you have to meet him." Yuffie frowned, and opened her mouth to ask just how he knew that, but again the Turk silenced her. "You can't go back there."

"Why not? I've got better things to do than socialise with an arrogant Turk."

Reno frowned and ignored her last comment, instead gesturing to an elderly building, one which hid the end of her meeting alley. He decided to get straight to the point. "Did you notice the men hidden behind the rubbish? What about their weapons?" He paused, judging her reaction. Her face remained blank. "No? What about their materia?

"I…"

"Right, then, take my word for it, but did you ever wonder what such _armed_ men would be doing in the alleyway at this exact time tonight? Particularly the same one you were due to be in?"

Yuffie frowned and raised her chin in a self-righteous gesture. Having her senses mocked was one thing, but her motives questioned... "I could ask you the same question."

"You could," Reno smirked, "but all I'm saying is that if you go back into that alley… Well, don't say I didn't warn ya. Good riddance if you want to be ignorant. Follow me if you want to live." 

Yuffie ignored the comment and ducked her head as Reno began to walk away. She crossed her arms across her chest, feeling the comforting feeling of her shuriken against her side. She fingered it idly, wondering why everything had to be so twisted. If Reno was right, and they were armed, then that would make things a whole lot worse. Should she follow him?

Yuffie looked at her watch and bit her lip. Ten minutes was plenty to find out what was going on.

She darted after Reno even as he began to head around the corner. "Hey." She stopped a foot or so behind him, watching as he turned. She almost scowled as she realised he'd been expecting her to follow, but hid the look when she acknowledged the fact that he didn't have to be here in the first place.

"I thought you had better things to do than hang out with the likes of me?"

Yuffie ignored him. "What do you mean? Warn me about what?"

"What do you think?"

"Look, Turkey, you're not making any sense! I've got to get back before-"

"You go back, and they'll kill you." It was a blunt statement, but to Yuffie, it held the weight of the world. Was that what he'd been implying? What about-

"You have to trust me."

Yuffie was about to scoff... and about to laugh at the image of her trusting, or even following a trained assassin, but a larger noise broke the silence. A long shadow appeared at the end of the oncoming alley and she felt a firm fist close around her arm as Reno tried to drag her to a service ladder.

"Up here, quickly!"

"Reno!" she hissed, pulling back. The phantom figure grew ever-closer as she struggled to get away. Wild panic filled her. If Carlos found her here with someone else, then there was no telling what he would do. But Reno's grip wouldn't let go.

"Come on!"

"Why?"

"Hurry up! I'll tell you later. Get up here." His voice was fierce, but there was the trace of some foreign emotion in his words... something that didn't ideally fit a Turk.

Frantically, the ninja tried to free her hands, though she couldn't say why. "No, Reno, not unless you tell me-"

The Turk nodded hastily to the incoming person, who was still out of sight. "Want to know more about him? Or your father?"

That did it. He had dropped the one name, and the one person that she couldn't possibly ignore. Silently, and with stealth and grace that belied her shivering frame Yuffie shot up the ladder and onto the open roof of what she presumed was an old factory. She stepped up to Reno, face to face.

"Tell me more."

But instead of answering the questions she'd been so hopeful to hear, he stepped around her and crept across the roof silently, reduced to all fours in an effort to remain anonymous.

"Reno..."

It was all she could do not to scream in frustration as Reno stopped at a spot on the roof without answering her. She crouched next to him, her eyes wide as she realised from this vantage that there _were_ indeed people in the alley. She could see at least four without even trying. 

She turned to Reno. "What _are_ you doing here?"

"Shh!" he hissed, turning back to her. "You want to see what I was talking about?"

"I-"

"Look-"

"No, _you_ look." Yuffie grimaced, wondering how she had managed to put so much emphasis on her words while keeping it to a mere whisper. Reno caught it too and stopped moving, rigid in the empty space. He looked at her, his cerulean eyes narrowed. "Tell me what you know."

But just as he opened his mouth to answer - or not - a loud noise stung the silence. The old building they were resting on seemed to quiver in the heavy discord, and Yuffie squinted though there was no light, trying to make out just what was going on. Reno followed her queue, and both of them unconsciously shimmied forward as they tried to peer through the small gaps in the top of the concrete wall

__

"Where is she?" a voice called through the darkness and instantly the ninja recognised it. It was her father's kidnapper. The noise had been the heavy metal door. She pressed her nose against the cool concrete wall, torn with the reality that she'd

And then it hit her. She was supposed to be down there!

She tried to jump up, but couldn't, and she felt herself gripped by a steely, strong arm. 

"What do you think you're doing!"

"Going down there. I have to-"

"You can't."

Yuffie's eyes narrowed, and she scowled up at him through dark lashes. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Turk!" She turned back to her father's captor and was shocked when four others seemed to melt from around the walls, one carrying something that was all too familiar. "He's... they're five minutes early!"

She tried to make another move to leave, but something brought her to a standstill; tried to rectify the situation by leaving the troublesome rooftop she shouldn't have climbed in the first place. She didn't know what it was; whether it was the amount of people with the original man, or whether it was fear, or the simple repose of inaction. What she did know was that she was suddenly aware of everything around her, as if the scene was intensifying itself just so she could see what she hadn't intended to miss.

And then she recognised that familiar item in one of the men's hands, and her already tense muscles went taught. She breathed a sudden intake of the cold, frigid air, and swallowed the remainder of the growing gasp in her throat. 

Reno seemed to recognise her actions. He turned to her, his face taking in the expression and tense set of her shoulders. "What? You want to stay now?"

But she ignored him, for her eyes were too focussed on the bags that the man held - those same bags which held the very key to her father's life, and to Wutai's imminent justice.

Almost immediately the scene unfolded around them and the ninja focussed her attention on one man. The leader. She saw the underlying suspicion in his eyes, hidden almost by the cruelty and callousness that he held so boldly. She saw the tense line of his ashen mouth in vivid technicolour, though the pale moon only allowed her to realistically see shades of the finest grey. She knew what the scene meant to this man; what her sudden absence implied. She also saw the other men backing away, suspect of the small, twin packages, their fear unhidden. She saw the way they gripped their ammunition like a lifeline, their eyes scanning the immediate surroundings like a hawk scavenging for food, for her... for Reno, who was never supposed to be there in the first place.

And it was then, suddenly, that she knew without a doubt the potential it all had to go horribly, horribly wrong. And it was then that she also knew Fate was going to strive let her down, like it always did...

Again.

__ ****

TBC...

* * * * *

__

Yes, I know, an odd place to end a chapter, but I thought that since I want to keep an average, even chapter size, then finishing it now would be a good idea. Anyway, that simply means you'll get the next chapter quicker... whether you want it or not ~_^. As always, comments and criticism are much favoured. ^_^.

To: Rose Flame... A Heal materia? Now, I thought I put in that Yuffie didn't have a heal materia... must have been about the end of chapter five, when they were discussing antidotes and healing, and such... You've made me interested enough to go back and check on that... but I thought I did... lol. Who knows? Oh, and authorities? Ugh... don't get me started, lol... 

Next chapter will be up very soon... within a week.


	11. It All Comes Tumbling Down

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By Word of Mouth,

By Ealinesse

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DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do_

not claim to. I do own Carlos, and his little goonies, however, even though I may not like them much at times...

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WARNINGS: _Maybe a little language._

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FEEDBACK:_ Yes please! Reviews are always welcome ^_^_

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(very short) AUTHOR'S NOTES:_ ... at end of chapter._

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Chapter Eleven: It All Comes Tumbling Down...

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__

'Uh oh,' were two very disjointed words that Reno managed to voice inside his head with overachieved, intelligent vigour as he felt Yuffie stiffen beside him. "What is it?" 

Yuffie seemed to face him in slow motion, her eyes wide as she shook her head as if to clear it. It was as if a light had been turned on inside her head and he visibly saw her shudder. He couldn't see the expression on her face, but one thing was clear: by the set of her lips, it was _not_ of joy.

"What?" he repeated, but she only turned away and lifted her arm to point to an object at the unfolding scene below. He frowned, eyeing the objects with curiosity. "The bags?" She nodded and Reno's frown only deepened as she moved her arms in a large circle. She mouthed one over-emphasised word, which he knew all-too well, and his expression changed into a grimace.

"_Boom_? You've got _explosives_ in there?"

The ninja visibly winced. Instead of replying she turned to watch, gesturing with her head for him to do the same. He obliged and felt his own resolve break, but turned back to her when the idea ran itself with disturbing clarity through his mind. 

"Are you _nuts_?"

She just raised an eyebrow, and muttered, "I would have been down there _watching them_, but you had to..." But her words trailed off into silence as Reno pointed. The blood drained from the ninja's face as she saw the bags brought out, and she wrung nervous hands together as she watched a man step back, selected to open the twin weapons. She stared blankly in blind shock as he did so, his lips drawn back in a thin line, a frown cast upon his face in the dim light...

But that expression lasted for only a second. A sudden explosion of bright red light bloomed outward in the alley, followed by a vicious roar. They both simultaneously ducked downward as a plume of hot, charcoal smoke drifted overhead, and Yuffie muffled a rough cough as she inhaled a reflex mouthful of the rotten carbon. The old building they were resting on groaned under the sudden pressure, and she felt a strong grip on her arm to prevent them from separating.

Then, all of a sudden it was over, and the alley was quiet again. The hazy smoke began to clear, but it was obvious by the way it was rising that the area wasn't going to be as light as it was before for quite a while. Peeking out from under her arms Yuffie winced as she took an experimental breath. The air was thick and dank, cold again. She closed her eyes and opened her ears, but heard nothing. Hope flared in her chest as she remembered the yell she had heard upon the large ruckus, and the crash. 

But it was not meant to be. She looked up just in time to clearly see four figures stand shakily in the clearing, and she pressed herself low against the cool concrete. A larger one stood out and Yuffie clearly recognised the form of her father's kidnapper.Her heart sunk and her worst fears were realised. He looked larger somehow, more dangerous covered in the soot that cloaked him in a satanic layer of black. He stood taller, more menacing, his eyes glinting ebony in the night.

Yuffie couldn't help but jump when the man's gaze drifted over them before passing on, but her fright was even worse as a gloved hand landed on her shoulder. Gathering her wits about her Yuffie offered a scowl at Reno for giving her such a fright, but stopped cold when a loud, crumbling sound right in front of them disturbed the recovering silence. She looked forward just in time to see the cover they had been hiding behind shudder, then corrode before their eyes. She only managed a brief gasp before a voice yelled through the night, frosty and cruel, and she met eyes with the man for the first time that night.

__

"After them!"

It took her a second to react, but that was one too late as she realised they were now exposed to the scene below. Yuffie saw the man spare only a brief glance at the mutilated corpse before her hand was gripped fiercely and she was pulled roughly to her feet. Instantaneously a wall of solid gunfire erupted around them as they fled across the rooftops. She followed her silent saviour numbly into the darkness, too bewildered to truly register the implications of what had just evolved.

__

"Don't let them get away! Kill them!"

'No,' she thought, _'They won't only kill us.'_

"Father..."

How could you fail… 

* * * * *

It took fifteen minutes to divert the attention of their followers, another five after that for them to even get anywhere near Reno's room at the Inn, which was closer than her own home. For the entirety of that time Yuffie was in an unbreakable daze. As they scaled the steps to his room she was led closely by Reno, who said nothing until they were safe inside.

The Turk closed the door quickly with wary glance into the hallway before he double-checked the lock. He turned, expecting to see her as mellow as she had been before, but all that he registered was the deep-seated anger in her eyes, traced lividly with fear. But fear of what? He followed with unperturbed eyes as she sat down on the solo chair opposite the door, then stood up again, unsure of herself, and it was then that he suddenly understood. She was going to blame this on him.

He watched as the rage continued to burn in her eyes, and suddenly she was diving at him, her fists struggling to find purchase on his body. She pounded at him, and although he knew she felt he deserved hit, he still blamed her. It wasn't his fault he'd decided it wasn't worthwhile enough for him to save her life. Was it his fault that they'd planned this?

He winced as an especially forceful blow rained down on his tender shoulder, and then another, and another. He cursed as it began to throb but he didn't stop her. In an odd way he felt he deserved it, and he knew he shouldn't have, but any action he may have taken was stopped by the look in Yuffie's eyes. He'd seen it before at Sector Seven in Lockhart's own eyes when he'd brought down the plate. Somehow, though almost entirely different, he felt as if it were the same. She wasn't the only one who had lost out from that.

"Reno, you jerk! You shouldn't have stopped me from going down there!"

It took him a while to notice that she was crying, and another couple of minutes to realise that she had stopped hitting him. Opening eyes he hadn't realised he'd closed Reno looked down to see Yuffie standing stock still, her breath hitching in her throat occasionally as she bit back sobs, her shoulders rising and fall unevenly as she struggled to get herself under control. For a moment he was unsure of what to do, but for what she needed he quickly realised that acting like anyone but himself would only get him into more trouble. He could see she was trying to hide her tears, although it wasn't really succeeding.

He smirked unenthusiastically, rubbing at his shoulder as she sank down onto the bed. "You know, you would have to be the most ungrateful person I have met in my life. I think you're the first person who has actually insulted me for saving their life. You wonder why I didn't thank you for the antidote."

Silence, then, "You make it sound as if you save damsels in distress almost everyday."

He snorted. At least she wasn't hitting him anymore. "Whose to say I don't?"

There was a snort then a short pause. "Hey, Reno?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For standing still long enough to let me kick your ass. I've been waiting to do that for a long time." 

Reno's jaw dropped and he looked up, spotting the small smirk on her face just fast enough to see it sink back into a frown. He watched as she stood suddenly then began walking to the door, wiping at her eyes to try to hide the tears.

Reno narrowed his eyes. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I've got to tell Staniv what's happened."

"Right now?"

"No, tomorrow."

He stood and darted over to the door before she could open it, effectively removing it from her view. He looked her in the eye, only to have her turn her head. He frowned, shaking his head. "You can't go yet."

"And why not?"

"You really think they've stopped searching for us? Better to wait until later when they've given up. If they were going to kill you before, what do you think they're going to do to you now?"

Reno watched as Yuffie blanched, then bit her lip. She made no move to leave, but then she made no move to turn around either. "You _know_ you can't leave yet," he added.

"But I _have_ to tell them what's going on. I'm not an invalid, Reno, I can take care of myself."

"I know you're not, but you're certainly not in your right mind, either."

Yuffie glowered up at him through foggy eyes and remained stuck in the spot.

Reno scowled. "Christ, will you think! I know you're no invalid, you just did a fine job of smacking me over, but that's not the point. There were at least four of them in that alleyway, not including Carlos. How many others do you think are after you? The odds seem just a tad unfair, don't you think?"

Yuffie began tapping her foot impatiently, though he could almost see his words ticking over in her mind. After a moment she shook her head and folded her arms. "_No_," she said. "What _is_ unfair is that I'm getting lectured on common sense by a _Turk!_"

Reno winced, knowing that his next action was going to bring him a lot of suffering… But not nearly as much suffering as he'd go through if Reeve were to find out he'd let Yuffie get hurt because he'd let her go - or worse.

As Yuffie tried to push past him Reno put a hand on his hip, pulling his handcuffs out of his jacket pocket with the other. He'd intended to use them on her earlier if she didn't comply with his request to follow him, but he was glad at least they had come in handy. Before she could so much as react he snapped the cuffs around her wrists and pulled her over to the only object that would stay still under the pressure of struggling (not to mention muffle it): the bed. He almost smirked at the sight, but forgot any ideas as he watched her begin to struggle with the cuffs. 

"Hey!"

Yuffie continued her struggle.

Reno walked over to her and grabbed her wrist. "Enough. The last thing I want to have to do is pay damages for the bed because you've turned into a behemoth and wrecked it!"

Yuffie scowled. "I thought you'd be used to that." But she ceased her struggle. Instead she began twisting herself around, rearranging herself into a less vulnerable position. One where she could place the full effect of her glare on Reno.

Reno watched all of this with a rather amused smirk, although he couldn't help but wonder how it had come to this. If she had of just listened in the first place! "You finished?" he asked, as she tried unsuccessfully to cross her arms with one tied to the bedpost.

"Not exactly," she said. Reno didn't like the complacent sneer on her face. "If I have to sit here and put up with your presence, then you're going to have to put up with my questions… the ones you didn't answer before. Those, in case you're wondering, are directly related to _why _you're even here in the first_ place_!"

Reno winced. This was going to be a long night.

"Well?"

"All right, where do you want me to start?"

There was a brief snort, followed by a rather fake yawn as Yuffie stretched languidly, hampered only a little by the cuff around her wrist. "Oh, the beginning would be nice. Seems like we've got all night."

* * * * *

"So you're saying that this Carlos guy – he's my father's kidnapper?"

"Yes."

"What about the other men in the alley?"

"Working for him, I'm afraid. I'm not sure under what circumstances."

"Is he paying them?"

"Most probably."

A scowl played across Yuffie's face. "And you're here to keep an eye on Carlos, and you knew he had my father all along!"

Reno put his hands palm-up in the air in a gesture of surrender. "Woah, hold up, I'm not saying that at all."

"Well what _are_ you saying?"

"We've had reason to believe that Carlos has been escaped for some while. He was on parole and during the course of his probation he was under house arrest, though the parole officer thought something funny was going on. Carlos's tag seemed to fluctuate on and off, and he thought that it was faulty. Three weeks ago his signal disappeared completely, and we were notified by the parole board that he'd gone missing. We weren't sure whether Carlos actually _knew_ he was off the radar or not, so I was assigned to keep an eye on him until Elena and Rude arrive and we can take action. Apparently, he knew. When I got to Wutai three days ago I heard a ruckus while administering the Antidote, and looked out the window. Carlos was there, beating the living shit out of some poor bastard. I figured I may as well have started following him then, to make things a lot easier, so I left through the window and began following him."

Reno watched as Yuffie digested the information. She was a lot quieter now, though whether it was because she'd finally got what she wanted, or whether she had finished being angry with him. Somehow he greatly doubted the latter explanation.

"So when you left through the alleyway…"

Reno smirked. "I was after Carlos, I wasn't ditching you, brat."

There was silence for a moment, where Reno wondered why she looked so relieved. For a moment Yuffie's expression borderlined, then she got herself under control, her face carefully neutral.

"So Carlos – how did you know where I was meeting him"

Reno frowned. "While I was watching out for Carlos in the town centre I bumped into this guy. It took me a while to realise who he was, and I ended up having to chase him down to get some info out of him. Turned out the reason he looked familiar was because he was the guy I cured – the one Carlos was beating the shit out of in the alley. He was reluctant to give me anything so much as his name, and before I could stop him he ran off. He seemed afraid that Carlos would kill him for interacting with me."

"So… "

"_So_, I didn't think anything of it. I left, searched for Carlos some more, and turned up no results. When I got back here _someone_ had slipped a note under my door, telling me to be at the 4th back alley at a specific time. I got the same note last night, and tonight."

Yuffie paled. "You mean to say Carlos was inviting you there?"

"No. The note wouldn't have been from Carlos. I've been there every night but the first, and I had no idea that it was you he was with until tonight. He, in turn, had no idea I was there. I made well sure of that. The note said 'keep well hidden', and I wasn't inclined to disagree."

"So you mean that whoever that man was is selling Carlos out?"

"He was frightened for his life."

"And that note…"

Reno slipped the two small squares of paper out of his pocket and placed them on the bed in front of the ninja. He watched as Yuffie pulled hers out and placed held them firmly in her hand, examining both sets closely.

"They're not written by the same people," she murmured eventually. "It can't be from Carlos. Carlos can spell. This guy can't."

"Correct."

"So we're safe here?"

Reno shrugged. "Safer than your place, apparently, if Godo was stolen out of the night without so much as a sign of forced entry."

Yuffie ignored the comment. She tugged at her lip thoughtfully. "Wait a minute," she said. "You said that it was three weeks ago you last heard from the psyche and parole officers."

"Ah." He offered a rueful smile, which quickly twisted into an expression of distaste. "Another reason I'm here, though I figured that part out pretty easily. It's not hard to figure out why someone hasn't contacted you for three weeks when you walk into their office and find them lying in offices painted with their own blood."

Yuffie paled. "T-they're dead? Both of them?"

Reno nodded. "Apparently in all of the current upheaval they forgot to check up on them every now and then."

"Oh gods."

"Yep."

"How long have they been…"

"Dead? I can't say, but by the way their office smells of rot, no more than two or so weeks."

"The police? Do they know?"

"Never mind that, I left a note on their desk with info about that among other things."

"So…"

"So they've got a nice pretty investigation to follow up this week."

Yuffie sighed. She went quiet for a moment, then when she next spoke, her voice was but a whisper. "Why my father?"

Reno shrugged, massaging feeling into his legs as they began to fall asleep. "Why not? He has money and people who'd do anything to ensure his safety. He was also part of the alliance that enforced the new immigration rule, and the one with the most money at that."

"The new immigration rule?"

"Carlos and his family were from Midgar. They were poor and had to scratch for money and food. Not an unusual story, I assure you. It ended up that Carlos somehow got his family to Wutai, hoping for a new start seeing as there was little use for him in Midgar. To cut a long story short he got caught, his family got deported, and he was arrested, jailed and trialed. His wife committed suicide a couple of years later, and his children were shipped off to an orphanage. No surprise he blames the Alliance for all of it."

"But it's not the Alliance's fault he had no money!"

"It's just the way it goes, Yuff."

They fell into silence, one where Yuffie continued to pick at her cuffs, and where he tried as hard as he could to keep himself from yawning, to keep his eyes open. It had been a long, sleepless three days. He sat back in his seat, closing his eyes for what he thought was only a moment before letting a small sigh escape his lips. He opened his eyes, noting that Yuffie had rolled over, her back to him. He could hear her breath coming slowly, caught deep within her own slumber. Perhaps he had fallen asleep?

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, wasn't sure how long he'd been staring into space, but he was rudely jolted out of it as a sudden noise made him jump to his feet. He spun, trying to find the source, his gun drawn. It wasn't until the sound came again that he realised it was coming from Yuffie.

Reno took a cautious step forward. If this was some trick…

"Brat?"

She didn't so much as move, and as Reno made his way around the bed to where he could see her face, she let go another whimper and curled into a small ball, her arms wrapping around her body as she shivered. Reno frowned. Was she having a nightmare? He crouched beside her bed and reholstered his gun, his hand reaching out to tap her on the shoulder.

"Yuffie, wake up."

Her only reply as his hand made contact with her shoulder was to curl up tighter.

"Yuff?" He shook her gently, about to give up on even trying to wake her when a small hand snaked out to hold his. It was followed soon by another, and before he could so much as blink, his hand was swallowed up in a deathgrip powerful enough to rival even Rude's. Her whimpering ceased, and she stilled. For a moment Reno was unsure of what to do. Did he risk waking her and facing her wrath, or should he wait until she wakes up by herself and let her go?

Reno sat down by the bed, wincing as the grip tightened on his hand. He struggled to flex his fingers as they began to cramp up. He only hoped she would wake up soon, before he lost all feeling in his arm completely. He'd hate to have to chew his arm off just to be free of the brat.

After a while Reno allowed his eyes to slip closed and his breathing to slow. He tipped his head back and rested it against the small bedside cabinet, yawning ever so slightly. If he had to sit down here then he may as well get some sleep, one way or the other.

* * * * *

Reno awoke a lot earlier than he'd have liked to the sound of Yuffie's voice coming from just beside him. He couldn't quite make out the words, though he could tell they were distressed by the sheer tone of them. Cracking open an eye the Turk looked up to his right, noting that his arm that had long-since fallen asleep had been released. He pulled the limb back possessively, just in case she decided to reach out and grab it again, and began flexing the fingers gingerly in hopes of effectively restoring the feeling as fast as he could.

As he felt the painful rush of blood begin to flow back into his hand, Reno stretched quietly. When he was done he turned to Yuffie, a slow frown creeping across his face as he watched her lips move with the smallest of sounds, half-forming words that were barely so much as a whisper. He cocked his head to the side, confused. Her eyes were closed, was she sleep talking?

Reno found himself leaning closer, straining to catch the sentences spilling from her lips. When he couldn't, he leaned even further forward, stopping when the words finally reached his ears.

"…why did I fail…?"

__

'Fail what? Is she just dreaming?' Reno sat back, shaking his head. He looked at his watch, trying to distract himself. He was reading way too much into this. This was getting too close "Three-oh-seven," he whispered, standing. Could they afford to head back now? Could he wake her and take her home? It _had_ been over six hours since Carlos had begun searching for them, perhaps they had a better chance now.

"Yuffie? Oi, brat." Reno stood and tapped at her shoulder, shaking her quickly before retrieving his hand quickly. The last thing he wanted was a repetition of before. 

There was a small groan from the bed, then a muffled, "Go 'way. Le'me sleep."

Reno snorted and tapped her shoulder again, a little harder this time. "Come on, wake up. You want to go home or not?"

Yuffie sat up instantly, her hands flying to her eyes even as her arm was snapped back sharply by the small chain. Reno winced as she let out a small yelp, and rubbed his fist unconsciously as he began to flex his fingers again. The feeling had returned, but the pins and needles hadn't quite receded. 

A moment later Yuffie was focussing bleary eyes on him. Reno searched her eyes for any recognition of what she'd done, but found nothing. He almost sighed in relief. He could almost imagine her blaming him for that.

"We're going?"

Reno pulled the key to the handcuffs from his pocket. "Can I trust you not to do anything?"

Yuffie smirked. "Can I trust _you_?"

Reno threw his gaze skyward, rubbing his temples as he felt the beginning of a very powerful headache brewing. "Very funny."

"I wasn't joking."

"I know." He bent down and unlocked the chain attached to her wrist, then pocketed both items. "Better?"

"Much." Yuffie stood, rubbing her wrist absently as she headed toward the door. She didn't bother to ask whether Reno was coming with her, he hadn't listened to her when she'd told him to go away before, and she couldn't imagine him beginning now.

* * * * *

Yuffie watched Reno out of the corner of her eye as he watched her out of the corner of his eye for any reaction. They stood at the very entrance to the pagoda, making no move to enter as the warm lamplight bathed them in an eerie glow. She nearly growled in frustration. Why couldn't he just tell her intention instead of standing here!

"What?" Reno asked when she didn't turn away. They had met no resistance, and hadn't seen so much as a street rat on their way here.

Yuffie scowled, her eyes hidden as she turned away. "We're here."

"_And_?"

"That's it."

He shrugged absently. "So why the weird look?"

"_What_ weird look?" 

Yuffie could see the Turk clearly roll his glowing eyes in the dark. "Forget it."

They stood there awkwardly for a few more minutes until the growing cold got to them, and Yuffie began chafing her arms with the palms of her hands. Quite suddenly the ninja turned to face the redheaded Turk, and he appraised her with a steadfast look when she said nothing. What did you say to someone who had saved your life, but annoyed the hell out of you while doing so… not to mention spoiled any hope she'd ever had of avenging her father.

"You can go back now." It came out a lot colder than she'd hoped, but the Turk wasn't phased. She watched as Reno snorted and shoved his gloved hands into his jacket pockets.

"Thanks for making that decision for me, brat."

"I - You're not going back to the hotel yet?"

"Why should I?" Reno raised an eyebrow.

"I... Whatever, Reno." She began to walk up the steps when uncertainty bit at her. What was she going to say to Staniv? "… How do I tell them what happens?"

__

They already doubted you… 

"Miss Yuffie!"

The ninja looked up, startled as two men clad in traditional Wutaian dress robes ran out onto the Pagoda's entrace. Staniv, Shake. Yuffie immediately noted the concern plastered on their worn, tired faces, and felt an immense wave of guilt fall on her. They'd been waiting all night for an outcome… and now she had to break it to them that she'd failed. How could she tell them that it had all gone horribly wrong?

She didn't have to. As the two men reached her they spotted the look of anguish on her face and stopped in their tracks. Staniv took a cautious step forward.

"What happened, Miss Yuffie?"

"I… It went bad, Staniv." She ducked her head, suddenly feeling the warmth of the tears she'd been trying to hold back trailing down her face. "I'm so sorry."

And before she could stop herself, she pushed past Reno, Staniv and Shake before rational thought could deduce otherwise, into the warm and intricate webbing that was her home without comfort, as a torrent of tears streamed from her eyes...

__

How could I fail again…?

* * * * *

Of course, upon seeing Yuffie's tear-streaked face, Staniv did what any decently loyal aide would have done given the situation. Forgetting the few years of peace he drew back into the habit of concluding that the words Shinra, Reno, and trouble were inexplicably glued together. He did not comment on the Turk's presence, but instead focussed his attention on Shake, who looked as though his anger was going to make him burst should he not be able to vent it.

Staniv stepped forward, his gaze flickering imperceptibly to Reno, who stood motionless and calm before them. "Shake?"

"Yes, Master Staniv."

"Dismiss Reno from our grounds, if you please."

The words came out harsher than he'd actually intended, though he had no time to rectify them as the shorter man stepped forward eagerly, years of accumulated hate and bias causing him to sneer. The Shinra may not be their enemies anymore, but he wasn't particularly sure that Reno counted. 

Feeling that he'd dealt with the situation perhaps a little inadequately, Staniv merely turned and left. He had greater priorities right now, and it was all he could do to keep from tripping up the stairs as he scaled the stairs after his charge. He could apologise to Reno later, should the need arise.

****

TBC...

* * * * *

__

Author's notes: Okay, just an apology about lateness - but getting it up now is better than not getting it up at all, I suppose, and I've been quite busy. Also, I know the end of this chapter is a bit dodgy as far as where it is stopped, but I thought if I added the next scene the chapter would get a little too long, and I'm trying to keep my chapter lengths even. But hey, I'm nearly done with the other one, so that should .


	12. No Guts, No Glory

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By Word of Mouth,

By Ealinesse

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DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. I do own Carlos, and his little goonies, however, even though I may not like them much at times..._

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WARNINGS: _Maybe a little language._

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FEEDBACK:_ Yes please! Reviews are always welcome ^_^_

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(very short) AUTHOR'S NOTES:_ ... at end of chapter._

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_____________________________________________

Chapter Twelve: No Guts, No Glory...

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"You're not going in there."

Reno smirked. "You've said that already, what I haven't heard yet, is _why_."

"Because Master Staniv said so."

"And why should _he_ say so? I brought the brat here, not to mention saved her life. I could be of some use to you-"

"_Brat_? How dare you call Yuffie by that name!"

"And why not?"

"Because that is not her name, and a commoner such as you - _especially_ you - is not at liberty to say otherwise."

"I'm not at liberty to say otherwise," Reno repeated bluntly, deadpan, staring the shorter man directly in the eye. He pulled his Shinra ID from his pocket and stooped mockingly to the shorter man's rather stunted height, shoving the small plastic card in front of his nose. "_I'm_ not at liberty to say? I'm _Shinra_-"

"And _I'm_ of Wutaian descent, and therefore of more authority than you in this place. You have no say here, now leave."

The Turk frowned and stood again, pocketing his identification tag. Perhaps if he told him that he'd save his charge's sorry ass they'd let him in. He stepped forward, a surprisingly earnest look on his angled face. "Look, Shake-"

The other man recoiled at the closer proximity, and it was all Reno could do not to scowl. He stood straight again, his eyes burning with annoyance as the other aide began to head inside. "No, _you_ look. I am done with you, Reno. Yuffie once said she'd never touch you with a ten foot pole. Quite frankly I'm inclined to agree with her. For that very reason, under Staniv's discretion, you are _not_ entering this pagoda without her consent."

"You don't understand a single thing that's going on, do you?" Reno asked, shaking his head. "You don't understand how much you might need our help with this guy-"

Staniv stopped and turned, his ebony eyes cold. "We do not need any help from _you_! Now _leave_!"

Reno winced and clenched his teeth together at the sheer volume of the words. By the noise, and the tone, he could quickly see this had become personal, and not only that, but a matter of the past; a prejudice which had yet to be forgiven. That needed to be rectified. "Reeve has helped you a lot in the last three years, and now you turn down his help? Do you even know what happened tonight?"

"_No,_I don't know, but if you'll let me go that's what I intend to find out. You can't possibly be of any assistance to us right now."

"And why not?"

"Because this is Wutai's problem, not Shinra's. You've read the papers. I don't know why you're still here, Turk, but I care nothing for your business here, though I have no doubt that it severely disrupted Yuffie's task tonight. I believe you are dismissed. I do not need _your_ help, and I don't believe it will ever come to that."

This time Reno did scowl at the look of loathing on Shake's face - a look that was brought on only by his fellow aide's decision. Reno took a careful step forward, pushing the boundaries of Shake's space only a little. He leered at the man, whose expression mirrored his own. "And what if one day you _do_ need my help?"

"I said it will never come to that."

Reno let out a bitter laugh. "I hope not." And with that last comment, Reno turned to walk away, a deep frown on his face. Why did everything have to be so personal with these people? 

As he walked down the small decline to the streets below, Reno shook his head in disbelief. "Now I see why Tseng left. You're all a fuck of a lot more stubborn than he was."

* * * * *

Staniv rounded the curved set of stairs with a red face, and placed his hands on his knees as he halted to catch his breath. He watched as Yuffie disappeared ahead of him into a room, and sped to catch up, only to have the door slammed in his face. Cursing the dress robes he was required to wear around the pagoda, Staniv raised his fist and banged on the door. He didn't even try the handle, he had heard the door click as he'd approached it. No key in the pagoda but Yuffie's or Godo's could open these private doors, and he didn't bother. 

Staniv frowned, and turned to lean against the heavy wooden door when there was no answer. He knew he shouldn't disturb her, but no other such experience had ever mounted up to this. He needed to know what was going on, and he needed to know now!

He spun and knocked loudly on the door as his breath returned to him. "Yuffie! Open up now!" He winced at the racket, but hoped that the young heir heard the urgency in his voice despite his blunt attempts to get her out. 

There wasn't so much as a sniffle for an answer. 

"Yuffie! You have to tell me what happened."

Again there was nothing, and he shook his head and eyed the chair just down the hall. If she was going to come out this way he'd see her do so, and until then he could at least be comfortable, if not overly anxious. And at least then he didn't have to worry about tripping over his own damn robes.

* * * * *

Yuffie screwed up her eyes as she lay on her bed. The tears wouldn't stop and her courage of hours before had melted away into a weakness she could do nothing to dispel. She did not feel like a ruler, and nor did she feel strong. She was a failure. 

Yuffie thought about her window, knowing it accessible to her at any time. She wished she could run away and not worry about this; hope that it would all get better by itself. But she didn't. She was going to have to face her aides sometime, and she had most likely made things a lot worse by running off. She wondered whether Reno had told them everything, but then shoved the thought aside. Her aides would have dismissed the Turk without so much as a second thought. She scowled at what she perceived to be a bitter weakness, though she knew under the circumstances that she had every right to cry...

It was just that crying did no good. If Carlos chose to punish her father for her own disobedience, then there was nothing she could do about it. If they killed her father tears would not bring him back. But tears made her feel so… _human_, when she knew she had to be strong...

Like her father...

Another wave of sobs wracked her body and Yuffie rubbed at her eyes, blinking them rapidly as she pulled herself up to lean against the timber wall by her bed. She watched as her mesh curtains whipped in the breeze, illuminated by the emerald lighting from below. She stood and moved to look out the window, hoping to see some movement, but was unable to see anything beyond the confines of the courtyard. She scowled bitterly, knowing that Carlos was out there somewhere.

Hastily, her hazel eyes drifted across the room in an effort to drag her very thoughts from the world around her. Instantly she spotted the right item to distract her - a music box her father had given her when she was younger. According to her father, the ancient music box had once been her mother's - someone she'd never met. 

Yuffie scrambled over to the small object and wound the dial. Faint music instantly began to play, rising out of the tiny speaker box, calming her raw nerves. Suddenly simply hearing the music wasn't enough. Yuffie pulled the item off the table and into her grasp, clutching it tightly to her chest as she couldn't help but mull over her losses.

As she sank to the ground a faint rustling nice made her look to the window, and she couldn't help but stare through bleary eyes as a small scrap of paper floated in through her window. Shoving the tears aside, the ninja placed the music box on the floor and took a step forward, catching the note as it drifted languidly over to her. 

As she read it she began to shake, cold not only from the breeze of the open window, but the chill that had been instilled inside her. Suddenly not even the tranquil tones of the music box could soothe her mood, and a fresh wave of anger washed over her. With a sharp intake of breath that only just withheld the sound of another sob, Yuffie crumpled the note tightly in her fist until it couldn't compress any further, and threw the horrible sheet of paper out of the open window and into the streets below, before collapsing to the floor in a grief that she knew she would never be able to contain. 

* * * * *

Reno had barely begun walking down the pagoda's steps when something light and feathery hit him on the back of his head. He stopped and turned, confused as to what would be flying around in the dark at this time of the night - no birds, that was for sure, the night was too cold. He narrowed his eyes and finally found what he'd been looking for, focussing on a small half-crumpled object that lay before him on the cobblestones.

Stooping to the ground, Reno picked up the small item and began to peel it open even as it began to unfold upon itself. From under the dimly-lit base of the pagoda's steps he could only just make out a few words, but those few he could were more than enough to indicate the subject that was on the paper. Yuffie's father.

Curious as to what such a message would be doing out in the darkness of the night - or even outside at all - the aquamarine-eyed Turk raised his head and tried to imagine where it could have come from. His first two theories were no good, but finally, when he realised such an item could not have simply drifted so far from a first floor building, he dragged his eyes up even further. It was there he saw Yuffie's figure hunched behind the curtains. 

Reno frowned. Her window was open, could it have drifted outside? Or had she thrown it? He squinted his eyes past the thick barrier of darkness, and unconsciously took a step closer in the direction of the window. Trying to figure out just what Yuffie was doing he watched as she seemed to list over to one side of the room, and then to the next. For a second she disappeared completely from sight, but then she was back again, leaning on something in front of the window - a desk or a windowsill? Whatever it was, he couldn't tell, but he quickly moved past that, onto more relevant things. 

And then, belatedly, it clicked. She was crying. He could see it in the way her shoulders slumped, and in the spasmodic way they moved as she inhaled with ragged breathing. He could see it in the way she had been acting at his room, and in the way she wiped angrily at her eyes. For some reason Reno shook his head, though he could not tell why. Unable to do anything about it, he was about to walk away when he realised he still held the paper in his hands.

Would that warrant entrance into the Pagoda?

Reno thought hard, knowing that Shake would quickly find reason to throw him back out. But he did know what he could do.

Fishing around in his pocket, Reno pulled out a pen he'd stolen from the skycab station in Midgar. He seated himself on the cool steps, placing the paper down in front of them. Inspired for some odd reason, he began to scribble hastily on the back of the sheet.

"Bingo," he muttered when he was finished, picking up the object to admire his handiwork. As he made his way closer to the building he noticed the guards, but quickly found a way around them, scaling the tall fence and ducking in and out of trees. Idly he wondered of the consequences of getting himself caught, but instead focussed on his small task as he reached an area relatively close to her window.

As he stood there, ignoring how cheesy he realised this all looked, he heard the sound of familiar music playing in the background. He looked up, frowning as he recognised it as the same piece Tseng had once listened to in the office to calm him. Before he could stop them, old memories rose to the surface of his thoughts, and he winced, picturing Tseng sitting in his office. 

'A lot of good that music did him.' 

Shaking off such thoughts, Reno crossed the last patch of garden required to get to Yuffie's room, then pitched the small, crumpled note as accurately as it could. He watched, pleased with his shot as the paper flew through the open window with no qualms whatsoever, before he heard it scuttling across the floor of the room.

Satisfied that his aim had been well enough, he jumped the fence and headed out of the immediate area before anyone caught him. He looked back just once as he was making his way down the steps, only to see Yuffie's silhouette holding the small sheet in her hands. She was still now, he saw, and quite puzzled. 

He grinned, shaking his head. "Well at least I got a reaction," he muttered, massaging the soon-to-be-bruise on his jawline, where one of her earlier punches had connected. "Some princess."

* * * * *

A small rustling noise made the young ninja look up from where she sat on her bed, distracting her thoughts momentarily. Through her tear-clouded vision, she saw a small object scatter across her desk below the window, only to fall onto the floor with a final thud. Brushing away any thoughts of déjà vu, she hastily wiped any moisture from her cheeks and retrieved the small object.

"How in the hell did this get back up here?" she whispered, wincing at the hoarseness of her own voice.

Unsure why, she opened the object and began reading. She frowned upon seeing the same message and began to screw it up, but stopped when she caught sight of the red ink on the other side of the paper. That hadn't been there before…

Not sure what to expect, Yuffie turned the note over and began to read. When she was done, she read it again. And again.

"How in the hell…" she muttered, shaking her head in awe. How had Reno recovered this in so short a time?

Craning her neck to see out the window, Yuffie searched, her blinking frequently to stop them from watering. Eventually she found him, right at the end of the cobblestones, toward the town entrance. She cocked her head to the side, shaking it slowly in disbelief. How had he managed that? How had he got past the guards?

She was about to open her mouth to call out to him when he turned to her window. A strange feeling of elation pooled at the bottom of her gut. She watched as his teeth flashed her a grin in the darkness. She caught him shrug, and then he turned and was gone behind the hedging in the distance, rubbing idly at the right side of his jaw as he went.

Dazed, Yuffie headed back over to her bed and sank down onto it slowly. Pressing out the creases on the note as she placed it on her bedside table, she began to read it out loud, her voice quiet, her tone one of incredulity. 

__

"Yuff," she read. _"Tseng once said, 'Nothing is ever as bad as it seems'. Though I'm inclined to believe that these words of wisdom are utter bullshit, and that they didn't do him any good when I bet he was thinking that back in the Temple of the Ancients, I thought I'd better pass them on. _

It means, 'Have a little faith'. I vote the same.

You're a tough chick, you can deal with this.

~R.

PS: Nice left hook. Wasn't expecting that one."

Again Yuffie turned and stared out the window and into the empty darkness. She blinked, rereading the last line as she realised she had perhaps hit him a little harder than she'd thought. The thought was gone, though, as she flopped back down onto her bed, and lay on her stomach. Would it actually do any good for her to stay in here and sulk? Wouldn't it be better for her to tell Staniv and Shake what had gone wrong so they could do something about it?

Have a little faith… __

You are strong…

When had her tears had stopped flowing?

Wiping the last of the moisture away from her cheeks, Yuffie shoved the note into her pocket and made her way over to the door. "Better sooner than later," she whispered to herself. Squaring her shoulders she unlocked the door and left the room, turning to see Staniv suddenly before her, his face an expression of worry and relief.

"Get Shake and the others, and meet in the main conference room." 

Staniv's eyes narrowed. "Are you ready for this?"

"Of course I'm sure," she replied, her voice through some miracle perfectly steady. After shooting her a piercing look, Staniv nodded, satisfied with the answer, then bustled away to retrieve the other members of the Council. 

Yuffie turned and made her way to the conference rooms on the fourth floor. Shoving her hands into her pockets she formed a fist around the note. Reno was right, after all, a little faith could go a long way. And there was still a criminal to catch… and since when did she pass up the opportunity to kick so ass… Turk or otherwise?

__

* * * * *

**__**

Author's note: Shorter chapter this time, oops. Couldn't be helped, though, this was the only logical place to break it up. Anyways, tell me what you think. Thanks so much to those who review, you're sentiments are *so* appreciated! The next chapter will be up within about a week.


	13. A Trick And A Trap

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By Word of Mouth,

By Ealinesse

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DISCLAIMER: _I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. I do own Carlos, and his little goonies, however, even though I may not like them much at times..._

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WARNINGS: _Maybe a little language._

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FEEDBACK:_ Yes please! Reviews are always welcome ^_^_

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(very short) AUTHOR'S NOTES:_ ... at end of chapter._

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Chapter Thirteen: A Trick And A Trap...

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Yuffie woke the next morning to a hand on her shoulder. Usually she would have jumped at the slight touch, her faster reflexes causing her to bolt out of the bed rather than lie still and accept the fleeting touch. But these were not the usual circumstances. She'd had little sleep since she'd arrived home, and sleeping for eternity was beginning to look like a good prospect. She groaned and rolled over, shrugging the hand off her.

"Miss Yuffie? Come on, Yuffie, wake up."

She sat up slowly after mumbling a reply muffled by her pillow.

"What was that?"

The ninja groaned and rolled over, still tired from her lack of sleep. Groggily she sat up, taking the dressing gown Staniv offered her. "I said, what time is - there was another one?" All too soon Yuffie recognised the other item he held in his hand, and she held back the fear she thought she'd dealt with the previous night at the meeting.

All Staniv could offer was a nod.

Pushing aside her emotions, Yuffie steeled herself for what would be inside. As the small slip of paper was handed to her, she turned it in her hand. "Have you read it?"

"No."

"Has anyone else?"

"No."

Before her hesitancy could get the better of her, she flipped open the item at the fold. With hungry eyes, she read the words out loud, her voice becoming but a whisper as she whispered the words in disbelief.

"_I'm willing to forgive last night, given that you play a little game with me. It's a new twist called 'Cat and Mouse'. However, in this game, there will be two 'Cats': My workers, and you. The mouse is your friend. I believe you know who I'm talking about...._

If you find him first, he's safe, and so is your father. If you don't... he's dead, and so is you know who...

Go quickly, ruler, the game's already started. I won't say good luck, because I'm having too much fun."

Yuffie's eyes widened at the implications. Before Staniv could stop her she was on her feet, gathering her weaponry and her clothes. She dressed hastily, holstering her weapon as her heart continued to pound in fear. She knew she would suffer consequences for her insubordination, but did they really know where Reno was…?

When she was ready Yuffie bolted out of the door without so much as giving regard to the guards she'd caused to stumble from the impact she'd created when she'd pushed the door open. She ignored Staniv's call as her own thoughts tumbled out of nowhere. 

__

'A second chance? Why would he give me a second chance?' 

When she reached the outside of the Pagoda, she frowned and quickened her pace. She had no intentions of getting Reno involved all of this, especially when he wasn't mean to be in the first place. 

All the while, she couldn't help but wonder what game Carlos was playing now.

* * * * *

Reno shoved a strand of frustrating hair from his eyes and pushed his dark sunglasses up higher on his head. Heading back from the Parole Office he made his way up the entrance to the Inn, grinning briefly at the receptionist behind the desk. As he clambered up the stairs, more than ready for a cool beer to ditch the oppressive feeling of dread he'd been feeling the entire morning, he heard a voice call out from behind him.

He turned back to the girl behind the desk, his expression curious.

"Your friends. Did you get hold of them?"

Reno backtracked, his eyes narrowing as he cast a surreptitious glance up the stairs. "What friends?"

At this the secretary cocked her head. A look of puzzlement donned her petite features, as she attempted to get her mind around something that obviously didn't seem quite right. She eventually frowned and shook her head slowly. "The two people that came in."

__

'Rude and Elena? If so, then they're a day early.' "Two people?"

"Two men."

Again his gaze flickered up the stairs. He frowned. He hadn't given anyone other than Rude, Elena or Yuffie his address. Immediately he put himself on alert. Whoever they were, they weren't his allies. "Are they in my room? You gave them a key?"

The woman blinked, confused. "They, uh... They said they didn't need one. They-"

The words were all Reno needed to hear. He crept up the stairs, praying silently for them not to creak under his weight. Warily, he pressed himself against the door even as a crashing noise rose out of the silence. The sound of something being thrown across a room echoed loudly in the small corridor. Then there was another, and another. 

Eventually, Reno heard the sound of the sliding door to the balcony opening, and the jingling of the cheap chimes against his curtains. Whoever was in there, was not only trashing his room, they had access to his balcony. Mentally, Reno sighed before counting to three. On the final count he darted forward and slammed open the door, gun in hand, armed and ready. 

He was met with nothing. The sliding door was open, the room, as he had guessed, trashed. The lamps lay broken, the chairs smashed - even the bedsheets had suffered there fair share of abuse. He headed into the bathroom, then checked the cupboards after the balcony, but was met with nothing. The people were gone as quickly as they had come, and he held no doubts as to who they were working for, and how they had escaped. 

The only reason was why. Confused, Reno searched his room quickly, trying to figure out if anything was missing. When he noticed that his bloody shirts from the day before were gone, he raised his eyebrows as he felt his mind ticking in bafflement. Why would anyone want old shirts?

Idly, he mused at how much this was going to cost him, but that was before the sound of footsteps on stairs alerted the Turk to someone else's presence. The redhead cursed and checked his weapon before darting behind one of the heavy curtains by the balcony. He muttered a cursive under his breath as he heard the door open, and someone enter silently enough that he guessed they didn't want to be heard. He held his breath, hoping like hell that it would be the receptionist coming to check out whatever was wrong, and not the thugs he knew to have been in his room not five minutes before.

It was a few minutes before whoever they were had finished searching - which was what they were quite clearly doing, even though Reno could not see. The footsteps, less wary now, became louder, and moved closer to him only to step toward the balcony. To his left, the Turk caught a glimpse of dark brown hair, and a flash of green, as well as the image of one very familiar weapon. _'Yuffie?'_ he queried to himself in puzzlement. _'What the hell is she doing here?'_

Not wanting to alarm any attackers in the immediate area, Reno stepped out with lightening speed and clapped his unarmed hand across her mouth to silence her, just in case ...

* * * * *

Once out of the marketplace, it took Yuffie a second to realise just where she was going to, and that she'd just turned around the wrong corner. She backtracked, frustrated, and ignored the shifty glances of her people, who were hard-pressed to stay out of her wavering path.

Eventually she found her way to the Inn. As she climbed the stairs to the front entrance, a new feeling of hope found it's way into her gut... but that was long before she noticed the two armed men scaling down the outside of the two-storey hotel. A surge of worry that she would never openly admit to Reno shot through her as she saw the weapons they were holding. The two men didn't seem to mind the attention they were drawing, even though they were focussed on their getaway. Before she could even so much as begin to chase after them, a wake of people closed in around them, rendering them virtually invisible to her.

She didn't give them so much as a second thought.

Hurriedly, she made her way up the stair, ignoring the receptionist as she flew up the stairs two at a time. When at the top she noticed the wide-open door and the mess that had been created. Almost everything had been either upturned or trashed. Whoever had been searching had done a thorough job.

But had they found Reno?

Making her way into the room as quietly as she could, Yuffie checked the entire room, but found nothing. There was no evidence of anything other than a thorough ransacking, and although she found nothing that suggested there had been a fight, there was also nothing that proved he was safe. After double-checking the room she headed towards the balcony. But before she could so much as take a step forward a hand was clapped against her mouth, and an amused voice spoke in her ear from some point behind her.

"After a night chained to my bed you're crawling back to me the next day?" came a soft drawl to her right.

Yuffie instantly relaxed, but when he didn't let her go immediately she bit his hand.

"Hey!"

"Well let me go!"

He obliged and she darted forward, spinning to face him. She mentally checked him for injuries, and she almost sighed in relief when she found none. He didn't look hurt; in fact, he looked almost more casual than ever. She noticed his gun, however, which was held tightly in his gloved grip, which belied his very expression. He smirked under her appraisal and raised his arms, looking down at himself with a rather amused scrutiny.

"What?" he asked.

"You're not hurt?"

"Nope."

"What about those guys?"

"Gone," Reno said, cracking his fingers together. He cocked his head to the side and scratched at the back of his neck. "What are you doing here?"

She ignored his question. "You didn't meet them?"

"Nope. You think they'd still be alive if they had?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes at Reno's overt complacency, but found herself too relieved for words. Reno was safe, so that meant her father was. But what was supposed to happen next? Would they release her father? Would she have to pay more ransoms? 

A sudden shriek behind her startled her from her brief thoughts, and she looked up to see the receptionist she'd ignored earlier standing at the open doorway. Her face visibly drained of all colour as she surveyed the wreckage that had once been Reno's hotel room, and she looked as if her knees were going to buckle from the shock.

Reno darted forward and steered her out of the room with a short backward glance, leaving her to survey the remains of the room. Shaking her head at the mess, the brunette put away her shuriken. She headed down the stairs and out into the main lobby, where Reno was trying to talk some form of sense to the woman.

He looked up as she entered, and raised an eyebrow in what was slight confusion coated with a silent question. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

The question made the ninja instantly remember her priorities, and mentally she berated herself for being so lax. She grabbed onto Reno's sleeve and pulled. "Come on, we've got to get out of here."

"Why?"

"Oh quit stuffing around, Reno. Do you even know what those men were doing here? Or how they knew where you lived at all?"

Reno visibly winced at the words. "Fucked if I know, brat, those questions came after 'What are you doing here?', but seeing as we didn't even get that far..."

"Oh, come on!" Her lack of sleep and the very identity of the person she was dealing with made her temper even shorter. Yuffie tugged harder on his sleeve. When he didn't so much as budge, she glanced around the room nervously before eyeing him with a stony glare.

"What?"

"We can't just leave, you know."

She shook her head, confused. "And since when have you had a problem with things like this?"

"Look-"

"No, _you_ look. My father is the Lord of Wutai, he can fix this when we get these guys!"

Reno just stared blankly at her, and blinked. Even the young receptionist seemed to recoil as if struck an invisible blow. Then Yuffie realised what she'd said. She took a step back, then another slower one, as if not quite sure what to do. Sudden anger bit at her very heart, and she turned away from the two as tears pricked at her eyes.

__

You are strong, young one.

"Yuff?" The voice was softer now.

"What?"

"Why do _we_ need to get out of here?"

She whipped back to face him, an eyebrow raised. She flashed him the note she hadn't remembered pocketing, and he scowled. "Can I explain it when we get out of here?"

He stared hard at her, as if trying hard to figure something out, then faced the sobbing woman. Reno nodded imperceptibly, then pulled out his Shinra ID and placed it down on the small coffee table beside the woman. He whispered something to her, to which she nodded, and then wrote something down on paper. Yuffie could only watch bluntly as the young woman wiped at her eyes with a sniffle, a shaky smile spreading across her face followed by a curt nod.

The ninja shook her head in wonderment, curious as to how Reno could possibly have made the girl smile under such circumstances. _'Then again,'_ she thought, remembering the note he had written her the previous night.

When Reno looked up at her, she asked, "You ready now?"

He grinned and swiped his ID from the desk. As they reached the doorway and made an exit the tall redhead called back, "And remember to visit or write that address ASAP!"

The overall impression of that line made Yuffie groan, and her depression of moments before was instantly forgotten. She recognised the previous situation as one of the kind of opportunities the Turk would probably take. Had she known him better, she wouldn't have been so crass. "Oh _please_ don't tell me you gave that poor girl your address!"

Reno shot her a dirty look, but his eyes twinkled in the morning light. "Nope," he laughed with smug satisfaction.

"Then whose?"

"Reeve's."

The simplicity of the statement made Yuffie stop in her tracks. "You gave her Reeve's address," she muttered bluntly.

"Yep."

"Why on earth would you do something like that?"

Reno's previous grin only widened as he remembered the solution he'd come across regarding payment for the room. "Well, if your father can't pay for the damage to that room, then Reeve certainly can."

The ninja's eyes widened as she imagined Reeve receiving that information. "He's gonna have a fit! There was nothing in that room still in one piece!"

The Turk raised a vivid eyebrow as he watched a slow grin form on the ninja's face, and casually flicked his sunglasses over his eyes to ease the glare of the sun. "Just imagine it as his early-morning wake up call. He always says coffee doesn't quite do the job anymore. I'd say this'll work perfectly." He resumed walking, looking the very picture of serious. "And besides," he added, turning back to her. "He owes it to me for getting me so knee deep in shit with no way out."

Yuffie shook her head, holding back a smirk as she wondered just how sane she must be to be even remotely amused under the circumstances.

* * * * *

Yuffie and Reno were greeted with rather mixed emotions. They were met at the front entrance of the Pagoda again, and though Reno noted that almost half a day had passed, Shake's cloudy expression had not changed in the slightest. In fact, with his arms placed taughtly on his hips, his lower jaw jutting forward in an act of contrite stubbornness, he looked a lot worse. The Turk almost shrugged, but instantly shifted his guarded gaze to Staniv, whose expression was a lot more mild. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Reno could almost see the tension dissolve from the young ninja as a broad smile found its way across the older aide's face. Reno took a step back, allowing Staniv easy access to Yuffie, who ducked her head and bit her lip as the man put a heavily cloaked arm on her shoulder.

"You found him!"

"Yep." Any residual doubt was gone from Yuffie's words now, though she seemed a little more bashful... or was that simply because she'd told him nothing, and they were just letting him know right now?

This time the Turk did shrug as the two started to head inside, talking fiercely under their breath. Shake stayed, leaning languidly against the doorframe, watching him with cool hazel eyes. Reno had never been a stickler for pressure - he was always outwardly casual. But in this case he was unsure. Was he supposed to go in? Stay? What?

The question was answered as Staniv turned back to him, Yuffie in tow. "Come, Reno. I suppose you need to actually hear about what is going on."

He noted the scowl that rolled across Shake's face as he walked past him, but the look was gone too fast for him to make anything of it. There was one thing he did realise, though, and that was that he was going to have to watch this man. He wouldn't overtly offer information, and he would more than likely be a hindrance to him no matter what the case.

The small group made their way down the hallway, and it was then Reno realised that he was perhaps the only one who had no idea what he was here for. However indirectly, this whole thing involved him, whether he wanted that to be the case or not. As they were seated in the meeting room he surveyed their expressions, noting with more than a little confusion the outcome was rather positive; Yuffie looked cheerful, and Staniv looked more than a little please himself. In a matter of taste, he ignored Shake, as did the others. So this couldn't be all bad then, right?

"What do you know, Reno, so far?"

Reno frowned and turned his head, casting a sidelong glance at Yuffie before dumping his light travel bag from his shoulders onto the floor. He smirked. "Everything up until the end of last night..."

"Nothing about this morning?"

"Not as of yet."

At this Staniv nodded, and Shake raised a derisive eyebrow, an unbecoming sneer on his face.

"This morning we received another note," Staniv began, hands clasped together in a common peacemaking gesture. "It was different in context to the others. It was unclear on a first reading what the actual outcome implied for Godo whatever the circumstance. However, I find it of high importance to note that you were also implicitly involved within it. That is Yuffie fetched you."

"Involved?" Reno repeated, not liking the sound of the word as it left his mouth. His eyes narrowed. This was no longer sounding so good. "What do you mean?"

The aide turned to the only female member in the room. "Yuffie?"

The ninja in question begun rummaging through her pockets, and eventually she pulled out a folded slip of paper. With a long arm,she flicked out her wrist, offering the sheet to the Turk. 

"Great," the redheaded man muttered as his aquamarine eyes scanned the text through glasses he hadn't realised he still wore. "Just great." The Turk flicked his tinted shades from over his eyes and searched the gazes of those in the room. When he was done his eyes lingered on the younger member of the proceedings. "So what you should have said, is that not only is Godo in shit, but that I am too."

His words came out painfully blunt. Shake jumped to his feet, his eyes blazing in the lamp-lit room. "Yuffie risked herself to go and get you, you ingrateful-"

"That's enough, Shake," Staniv snapped, standing also, a cloaked arm placed palm-up in the air. "Enough." He eyed the Turk warily and seemed about to say something when there was a knock on the heavy door. All eyes turned and faced the young, shaven-headed boy in clerk's robes that entered the room. The boy bowed as he stepped in, his thin slippers making only a small scuffling sound on the wooden floor.

Staniv stepped forward at the boy's entry. "What is it?"

The boy bowed again. "A message of importance has arrived for you, sir. It is addressed as urgent. I was advised by Gorki to come and get you quickly."

Reno watched as the aide's expression changed to one of confusion, and he noted how Yuffie and he seemed to share an almost imperceptible glance. The communication was broken within a second. He turned back to the boy, who seemed to be unconsciously shifting his gaze back and forth between Yuffie and himself. The Turk winced at the boy's shaky smile. The only one who noticed this, was Shake. 

"Gorki thinks it is urgent?"

"Yes, sir."

There was a sigh, after which Staniv spared a look at all in the room. He turned to the boy with a look strong enough to dismiss him, and then headed toward the door himself. "Then I shall meet with Master Gorki and discuss whatever matter he wishes. We will have to talk about this later. But this talk cannot be delayed, Turk. This is a matter that immediately concerns you, whether you like it or not. Would you be able to attend another meeting in an hour?"

Reno smirked at the fact he was being given a choice. He nodded, thinking of the evidence he had yet to report to the Police Station. "I've got other things I have to do today, anyway. An hour is fine."

"Then it's settled." And with that, the older aide left.

Reno turned to Yuffie as a thought occurred to him. "Why didn't you just show me what was in that note when you got to the hotel? I would have left sooner."

Yuffie shrugged. "It didn't occur to me." She paused and frowned. "You're going into town? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Yep. I've got to get some things, go to the Parole Office - the usual bullshit."

The brunette ninja offered only a sympathetic glance, but seemed unsure of what to make of his decision. "You're sure?"

Reno only offered her a wry smile and began to head out the door, pleading ignorance to the scowl that was painted on Shake's face. "Don't worry, I won't get your father killed, brat." He winked at Shake before leaving. "I'll see you in an hour."

As he left a derisive voice called through the wall. "Don't be late, Turk. Wouldn't want to mess up our little faith in you..."

Something in that last comment made Reno wish his nightstick was still in working order.

* * * * *

Reno looked at his watch and whistled as he realised he had only six minutes to get back to the meeting room. He hurried his pace along the streets and was soon standing before the large pagoda. He shook his head, wondering just why he was motivated to return so early merely under the influence of Shake's dark prompting. He soon discarded the thought, and instead made a mental note to collect the bag he hadn't realised he'd forgotten until it was too late.

As he walked inside, the Turk was stopped by a loud voice. He turned at the call.

"What?" Reno asked, noting Shake's singularly sour expression.

"Yuffie requested I escort you to your room."

Reno frowned. "My room? We have that meeting in a few minutes, remember?"

Shake's watery glare soldified into something much stronger, and the smaller man tensed, but didn't take the barb. "You'll be staying here tonight," he continued. He turned away and began walking down the hallway and up the continuous flights of stairs. "Follow me."

The Turk's eyes narrowed and he caught up, pacing himself right behind the man. The last thing he needed was to have his decisions made for him. "We haven't discussed just where I'll be staying tonight. That's what the meeting is for, among other things."

"I am only obeying Yuffie's requests, Turk. I would rather not have escorted you to your room at all, but she insisted."

"She insisted that I stay here," Reno stated bluntly.

"I've already said that."

"I thought she wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole?"

"You've read the note. Your situation is reminiscent of Godo's. If you leave this pagoda and get caught, you'll be killed. If so, then Godo is dead. Understand? She is merely tolerating you and taking the necessary precautions needed to return her father safely."

It made sense, but he didn't trust the words coming from Shake. He followed anyway, and they made their way in silence to a wide door. The smaller man fiddled with the key for a second, then stepped back as the heavy entrance swung open. Reno stepped into the doorway and took a look in. 

Shake openly smirked at Reno's hesitance. He waved a negligent hand. "Take a look around. I'll be back to collect you in a minute. I'll escort you to the meeting - it's in a different conference room this time. The other one is being used." And with that Shake turned the corner to the hallway and walked away.

The Turk checked his watch for a second before entering the room. There was still about three minutes to go; enough time form him to sit down for more than half a second, and allow him to think on what had been going on. Complying with his thoughts, Reno didn't allow himself more than two seconds to glance around the room before seating himself down on the soft bed. Sitting back on the palms of his hands he allowed his chin to drift down to his chest while he thought about the feeling of unease that was forming deep in the pit of his stomach...

That was until a loud bang alerted him to a door being slammed. He looked up, and frowned. Said door was his.

Blaming his surprise on his lack of sleep, Reno darted forward to the door and turned the handle. It turned slightly, but the door didn't open. He tried a few times more, growing increasingly more frustrated and confused. Then realisation dawned upon him and he shook his head, slamming a gloved fist against the thick oak as he thought of Shake's previous statements. The short aide had locked him in to stop him from attending that meeting... and because of this, Yuffie and Staniv would think he had been careless enough not to show up!

__

'Real smart, Reno...' He clenched his teeth as he tugged at the handle. "Why you difficult little shit..."

He heard a distinct laugh after from behind the closed door, and as he pulled at the door again the volume of the humour continued to increase. He didn't have to look through the keyhole to see who it was.

Reno scowled. "And I suppose Yuffie requested you lock me in, too?"

But his only reply was a contemptuous, "Don't be late, Turk," before the man was gone.

Knowing that no attempt he could make would be good enough to budge the heavy door, Reno turned to look around the rest of the room in an effort to find some other way out. He closed his eyes and shook his head, realising that since he was on the third floor of the building the only windows that opened were the larger ones up the top - and even if he could make it out of them, this side of the Pagoda was as steep as the cliffs of Da Chao. Reno cursed, noting any real chance he had of getting out lay with his bag that he'd forgotten.

"Typical," he muttered, realising what an obvious trap he'd walked into. Shake's earlier words, his barbs, even his attitude had spat trouble. But he'd ignored his gut feeling, and hadn't he decided to keep an extra eye on him? 

Reno turned around, cursed creatively under his breath, and began to devise a plan to get out of what he hoped would only be a small prison sentence. 

* * * * *

__

Author's Notes: Well, this one took a little longer than usual, but that's probably because I'm doing mid-term exams at the moment, and they're not exactly my favourite things in the world. Lol. ... Not to mention we're moving into our new house. We didn't have internet or phones for a week because of the fact that the builders had poured concrete OVER our cables accidentally. Bloody idiots... ~_^

Ah well, thank you to everyone who's reviewed! Your criticism and comments are much appreciated, I just hope this story isn't boring you all! Next chapter will be up soon - in about a week. Thanks to anyone who's reading!

~Ealinesse.


	14. To Take A Gamble

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Word of Mouth, 

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By Ealinesse 

_____________________________________________

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are Carlos and his cronies… Ugh, lucky me. 

Summary: Three years after the fall of Sephiroth, Yuffie receives a cryptic letter from home that tells her all is not well in Wutai... But what does a certain Turk have to do with anything?

Warnings: Just a little angst, drama…

Category: action/adventure, slight humour? - (not a lot in this chapter though)

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Chapter Fourteen: To Take a Gamble...

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For lack of anything better to do, Reno kicked the door, glad that at least his heavy boots managed to make a satisfactory dent; they were steel-capped. He had tried looking around for things to break the door down with, but hadn't managed to find any single thing handy enough to help him. The doors were heavy oak, thick, and quite indestructible to only one man. Shake had been quite thorough, even as far as possible lock picks went. The room was strangely ornate, but bare of anything but the necessities; curtains, a chair, a bed, and a table. The only small ornaments were softer things, metallic items that would be of no use for him to do anything.

The Turk cursed his luck, and spared a look around the room before turning back to the rather stubborn door - or, more specifically, the lock that still held him in. His lockpick was in his bag - which was somewhere in the pagoda, where he'd left it at the last meeting, most likely. He hadn't anything on him that would help his current situation. If he had of been on the first, second, or even third floor, he would have climbed out of the window and snuck past the guards again, but he was on the northernmost side of the structure, where the architecture was both beautiful and sharply angled; a hazard for anyone. Personally, that was one less risk that he was willing to take.

Reno swore, and shook his head, turning to the window. The reasonably calm morning had turned a lot darker, and heavy grey clouds were hanging thickly overhead, clustered in a syrupy haze. Yes, Shake most definitely _had_ been thorough, which gave Reno all the more reason to be pissed off. He should have seen it coming. He should have noticed, like he said he would.

A beep sounded in the accumulated silence, and Reno nearly jumped... nearly. He looked at his watch, where the sound had originated, and ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he realised what time it was. The meeting had just begun, and he was going to miss it because of that stubborn little ass.

"Shit!" He kicked the door again, his boot making a tiny indent parallel to the other one of moments before. A small flake splintered off the door, and so, unsatisfied, Reno sat down on the bed, brooding. He had been in this room for only five minutes, and already his pent-up anger was getting to him. If Rude or Elena had been here, he would have been told to shut up, to be calmer, to _think_ about a solution. But they weren't here, and he was stuck in this goddamned room with nothing but what he had on him...

Which was quite considerably less than what he would have had if he had his bag with him. He had even sacked his gun, thinking himself safe in this place. But his luck never worked well when he assumed...

Reno fell back onto the soft mattress and lay there for a few minutes - his first welcome blessing for the lengthening day - and closed his eyes, trying to calm his buzzing mind. It didn't work; he was too busy thinking about that note, and what it had implied. It was true, that technically, when it all came down to it, he was in this room for his own good, whether Shake realised it or not. Ultimately, if he were looking to save his own ass, then it would be of his own advantage for him to stay. But, the Turk realised, he never did anything that was good for him, and, over the past three years, accomplishing the mission rather than saving himself had sustained a lot more importance.

He sat back up, cursed his laziness, and proceeded to glare at the door, as if trying to make it open under its own accord. It didn't, of course, but just that little bit more of his anger faded, and he let his shoulders sag a little. Some of his tenseness was lost, and some past words of Tseng's floated into his thoughts.

He smirked, realizing how ironic it was that he was _finally_ listening to Tseng's advice now that he was gone, not realizing how much he'd come to mean to all of them, and not wanting to openly admit it, either. That he had respected him, he supposed, was enough. 

Reno shrugged off such thoughts, and, calmer, he took a deciding look around the room, trying to find something that would help his current situation. The lock was a simple one, but strong. If he had the right tool, he'd be able to break it - maybe. On the bed, there was nothing, it had no bedhead, and no decoration; just a duvet and sheets. The table was as bare, as was the wooden chair. The heavy curtains would be of no use to him, and nor would any of the roof's, or wall hangings. 

The Turk sighed, and suppressed a shiver as the open window made the draperies billow and gust with the wind. He was about to look down, when something caught his eye, and a sudden feral grin lit up his face. He stood, and made his way over to the curtains, peering up at the rails they were hanging on, and realised that even he would need a table or something as tall to stand on just to see if his idea would work.

So, with that in mind, the Turk hauled the table under the window, and carefully examined the pieces that made up the railings. The tiny, pinpointed brackets that were evenly spaced along the tracking were perfect for him to use as a lockpick. He pulled at the curtain rail, hoping he wouldn't break the small objects he needed in detaching it from its position on the wall.

"Come on, baby... prove that shortass wrong..." he whispered under his breath as he tried to wrest the large pole free from the wall, not caring about the damage he caused as a sudden crunching noise indicated that the timber wall was giving way to the metal pole. It all came free with a shudder, and suddenly weighed down with the pressure of something both volumous and awkward to carry, Reno tumbled back onto the soft bed, feeling the brief moment of pain as the heavy rod landed with a solid thunk on his chest.

He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, pushing the item off him, struggling his way free of the tangled material. He stood, and let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding; the metal brackets were bent, but still intact. 

Retrieving the smaller items from the wall was a lot easier, as the screws holding them into the timber studs had loosened under his exerted pressure. All three of them came free with minimal effort, giving Reno more than enough opportunity to free himself. He headed over to the door, knelt, and squinted through the minute keyhole. Looking down at the pile of metal scrap he'd managed to accumulate, he picked one that was of a size small enough to fit into the hole, with room to spare. 

Biting his lip, he unbent it, and wiggled it around in the small area, mentally crossing his fingers as he hoped it wouldn't break. It did. As did the second one. As he picked up the third, he cursed, realizing his opportunities were quickly getting sucked out of the proverbial window. He placed it more carefully in the keyhole, and clenched his teeth together as he put only a small amount of pressure on it.

"Don't you dare," he threatened as he felt it about to bend. And, as if listening and shivering at his very words, it didn't. A soft click shushed the silence, and a look of imminent satisfaction lit up Reno's face. He stood, pushed the door open, and stepped out of the room. He pocketed the small, metallic item, and faced the room he'd wrecked - the second trashed one he'd been in that day. It was no longer first class.

On impulse, he left a hasty note to his would-be captor, and smirked.

"So much for bad luck always coming in threes," Reno said as he sped down the hallway, realizing just under ten minutes had passed since the deadline for the meeting.

* * * * *

Yuffie glared at the clock hanging above the door in one of their smaller conference rooms. Reno was late - by at least five minutes. She turned to her two aides, who had arrived long ago, and sighed. She hadn't exactly expected him to come, but it was selfish of him not to. He'd agreed to come, and the fact that even though she didn't know him that well in the first place, did nothing to minimize her hurt of his betrayal. This was her father's life they were trying to save. If he went out and got himself killed, then...

"I _told_ you he wouldn't turn up, didn't I Staniv? The Shinra are of no use to us!"

"Yuffie?"

The first voice was predictably Shake's, hotheaded and brash. The second's was Staniv's. Cool, collected as usual, but with a stern edge in his voice that belied his very _expression. 

She turned, nodded, sighed again. She spared but a backward glance at the door as she closed her eyes, hoping against hope that Reno knew what he was doing. "I guess we should start - though the reason for this meeting is mainly gone."

* * * * *

Reno scowled. He had no idea where he was going. The extended pagoda was huge, and everywhere he turned, there was another door, connected to yet another empty room. He realised he essentially had no hope in hell of finding exactly what he was looking for in the next few minutes, he was at least sure of that. He'd searched the first and second floors, as well as some of the smaller off-buildings, but no matter where he turned, he couldn't find the three ninja anywhere. After a somewhat wary glance at his watch, the Turk winced, and proceeded to try another door - the meeting room where they'd been earlier. His bag wasn't there. 

Reno swore, and narrowed his eyes, remembering what Shake had said earlier about a different conference room. Any hope of him finding out just what the hell else was happening was extinguished as, after another two floors, and countless doors, he gave up. 

He turned and remembered the courtyard Tseng had always told him about - it was something he'd never really seen. It was the same with the temple where the god Leviathon was said to rest. So, with very little aim, he headed outside, and sat down on one of the outside terraces; he supposed they'd find him there sooner or later. And besides, the possibilities of him playing hide and seek with them on their own property - especially Shake's - were interesting. Business aside, he liked nothing more than causing people to fret under their own property.

* * * * *

Yuffie frowned, and turned to leave the room, fingering the bag she'd picked up earlier with a pensive frown on her face. The meeting had finished well over ten minutes ago, and still she stayed in the room. About two minutes earlier, her aides had left for other business, and so here she was, alone, wandering down the hallways of her own house with no one to talk to.

Her frown deepened. She had seen the look of annoyance quite clearly on Shake's face during the meeting; had picked up on Staniv's mild disturbance, but only one of the men had actually said anything; Shake. He had been openly angry, and quite smug in the fact that he had been right after all - that Reno hadn't arrived, and had shown them all down.

The ninja pressed back her disappointment, and headed down the stairs, and toward the temple. She ignored any thoughts of the possibility that by going uptown; Reno had gotten himself into more danger than good - as well as her father. She hoped he wasn't that stupid, but instantly knew she was counting on too much. From what little she knew of Reno, she could tell that he was generally unpredictable.

As she reached the end of the hallway, Yuffie was met with a set of empty stairs, followed by an empty corridor, and an empty lobby. At the top landing, before she was set to walk down, the brunette ninja closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She was plagued by options, but nowhere to really go. She felt herself suddenly anxious to hear from Carlos, whatever the news. There was always the possibility that Reno had gotten himself into more trouble. He _had_ gone into the city, hadn't he?

A sudden repetitive thumping accosted Yuffie's ears, and she instantly recognized the sound of approaching footsteps. Grasping the shuriken that was attached at her waist, the ninja readied herself for the possibility that something was happening. She was right, of course, but she hadn't needed her weapon.

"Miss Yuffie! Miss Yuffie, come quick!" yelled the small servant who had attached himself to her arm and had begun pulling her forcefully down the stairs. "Come quickly!"

Wrenching her hands free from the boy, Yuffie narrowed her hazel eyes as a feeling of dread washed over her. 

"What is it? Tell me now."

"I c-can't. Master Staniv said to get you right away, and to tell you to hurry."

"Is there another note?"

Yuffie didn't even need to see the boy nod to know the truth, and she raced down the stairs three at a time, a dire sense of urgency propelling her every step. True, perhaps the answers she'd been seeking had come when she'd asked, but was she ready for them?

* * * * *

Yuffie skidded around the corner closest to Staniv's quarters and nearly slid into the solid wall as she struggled to gain her balance and move further. Any attempts she had made, however, to make any further steps forward were halted as a conversing Shake and Staniv exited the visible doorway. She forced herself onward, though, but with less vibrancy as their conversation halted upon her arrival. The facial expressions of the two men were grim, and sober. Shake's eyes looked glassy, and at what, Yuffie could only guess.

She didn't have to.

"There was another one," was all Staniv said as he held out a small sliver of paper. There was little animation in either his facial cast, or his voice, or actions as he made the movement. His grey eyes, usually vibrant with wisdom, offered her nothing but proof of his own action, and knowledge. For once, she realised, perhaps he was paying the price for such information - especially the price of knowing before her.

With the utmost reluctance, Yuffie forced her wooden fingers to move - to pry open the news that she had only before wanted to know about. She had no wish to know now. Anything the note could have possibly told her was etched into her aides expressions. She had to expect the worst, but it was by no means what she wanted...

__

"You messed up, and now your friend and your father have paid the price. Lead on, oh ruler, lead on..."

"But... he said... he..." It took her a second to fully react. In seconds, she had turned, and fled, the half-formed protests lost eternally on the tip of her tongue. 

She darted back up the stairs to her room, and slammed the door. After what seemed like a second thought, she locked it, and fell back onto her bed. She lay there for a long time, ignoring whatever thoughts she could. Voices rang like the echo of iridescent church bells through her head; flitting images of past conversations, memories, and images of laughter and happiness were laid out, jumbled into a confused haze before her. She tried to ignore all of them, but she could not hold back the two strongest images of the lives lost, even with her eyes closed.

Tears she had previously fought hard to hold back fell from her eyes in streaming rivulets of pain, and as she whispered her father's name under her breath even as she crumpled the tightly-clasped paper in her white-knuckled fist. 

A sudden knock sounded behind her, and she covered her ears, even though the known voice was somewhat of a comfort to her ears. In her pain, she blocked out everything, eventually even the face of Reno, and her father.

Would the pain of loss still be there if there were nothing there to remember...?

* * * * *

Staniv stood by the door to Yuffie's room with Staniv, his _expression drawn into a tumultuous frown of confusion, worry, grief, and fear. Next to him, Staniv was quite, pensive, and uncertain - a trait that the shorter aide hadn't even resided in him until now. 

As he watched the older man, Shake winced, realizing how deep he'd figuratively buried himself. Staniv's hand was poised indecisively apart from the heavy door. His lips were drawn into a thin line, and though his eyes shone with tears for his theoretically lost master, he fought them back, unwilling to demonstrate his grief until he had dealt with all of his duties.

Mentally, Shake cursed himself as he pulled nervously at the seams to his council robes. He had wanted to - and still did want to - say to the both of them that it couldn't possibly be true that Godo was dead; that it wasn't at all logical, or actual in a real state of mind for Reno to be gone as well. He wanted to just spit out that he'd locked the Turk away for more than just preventative measures... but he couldn't, and even now, he himself wasn't so sure.

Was Reno still there? He couldn't have possible escaped, could he?

But then Shake thought about the latest note, and realised that it was entirely possible.

"Staniv-"

But the older aide simply shook his lowered head. He turned away from the door, and began to leave. "Let her grieve, Master Shake," he said, before rounding the corner. "You only ever have one father."

"But-"

"Now is not the time for words. We will talk later. Yuffie will come out of her room when she is ready. We needn't worry about anything but her safety right now."

Shake headed out of the room, unsure of how to resolve his current predicament. At the moment, nothing was shocking him, and he was more than beginning to regret his decision to mess with the man from Shinra. 

Was, or would Godo still be alive if he hadn't messed with Reno?

Would everything still turn out okay?

Now he wasn't so sure...

* * * * *

Staniv was starting to have doubts about ever talking to Yuffie 'later'. After eight hours, she still had not come out of her room. Normally, he would have had no problem walking into her room, or even confronting her, but these circumstances, again, were far from the norm. 

He took off his traditional cap, and closed his eyes for a brief second, allowing his sleep-deprived mind a temporary rest from the unpleasant storm of decisions he knew lay straight ahead. A cool breeze drifted lazily along the corridor outside Yuffie's room, and rushed past him, tickling his lengthening hair. He allowed his breath wanton control for only a second, before he slid back into the guard's chair outside her door, and ran through a few counts to calm his mind. He allowed his head to fall back against the wall, and he relished the chilly feel of the walls against the back of his neck. His eyes slid closed, and the firm line of his mouth softened into something akin to neutrality.

__

'So many decisions, and no time to make any of them...'

He really did only mean to rest for a second...

A sudden noise from inside his charge's room evoked him from his unintentionally meditative state. With the dissonance came his tortured thoughts, and his need to make a spur of the moment decision. The next thing he realised was that he was on his feet instantly, chastising himself for being so slack as to ignore Wutai's needs over his own.

As his hand had before, he paused before knocking, but a gentle beep from his pocket watch reminded him sorely of Wutai's need for a ruler. As of now, there was no time to grieve. The time had passed. The best thing for now was to move forward...

"So why can't I take her away from her grief?" he whispered, shaking his head ruefully.

But in truth, he knew the answer. The way this was happening was all wrong. They needed to get over their grief, not thwart it by merely hiding it away for a rainy day. He knew that Godo's loss had only fully hit one of them, so far, and that one was all that Wutai needed.

"Yuffie?" Staniv called, his voice resigned to what he had to do. "Miss Yuffie? We need to talk."

She didn't answer. She never did when something happened - and this instance was a lot different, and more serious. He knew she wouldn't open the door, and when his assumptions became controlled by fear, his eyes widened. A sense of urgency filled him, as well as one of formidable apprehension. 

He made a hasty decision, stepped forward, and knocked loudly. "Yuffie! Open up this door!" 

There was no reply, but then again, he hadn't truly expected one. Or had he?

Confused, Staniv turned, and paused, unsure. Perhaps he would come back later, when he was surer of himself.

* * * * *

Shake arrived hastily at the room where he'd locked Reno after reading the note from Carlos. As he unconsciously reached for the door handle, his fingers found nothing but empty air, and he looked down. Curiously, he looked at the key in his hand – consequently the only one to the room in existence – and the open door. He blinked. 

"What…"

A cold arena of fear caused a terrifying stampede at the base of his stomach, and he winced, closing his eyes in hopes of finding the Turk inside…

As he stepped into the room, however, he realised how useless such thoughts were. Reno had been thorough, there was no doubt about it. The curtains were on the ground, in utter disarray; they hung limp and creased, discarded in a useless pile. The brackets to hold the heavy draperies were gone, all that remained of them were tiny voids of emptiness in the solid timber. The railing lay rigid and barren on the floor, quite obviously bent in half. The weak metal around the lock to the door was scratched and scathed; it had been picked.

For the first time since he'd taken his oaths as one of the Five Masters, Shake swore. Loud.

He was about to leave the room when something on the bed caught his eye. He cocked his head, and stalked over to the crumpled sheet of paper. With a confused glance, Shake looked around before reading the note, and felt a sudden anger burn red-hot inside him. His fury at the redheaded man peaked, but a feeling of elation also accompanied those murderous thoughts. Reno was alive, and here… did that not bode well for Godo, no matter what Carlos had said?

Before anyone else could recognize the absent Turk, Shake sped off, but not before stopping in the hallway and taking a quick, nervous glance around. He saw no one. His hands, shaking in fury at the foolish redheaded man, placed the item in his shallow pockets. He was too focused on his rage to notice it fall to the ground in the hallway, after teetering briefly on the brink of the thin material.

He stalked away, his footfalls heavy despite his soft slippers on the wooden floor. Not for the first time he realised how badly he'd messed this one up.

He only hoped he could fix it all before it was too late…

* * * * *

Staniv watched Shake with wary eyes as the short man paced furiously down the corridor. Tucked away into an introverted doorway, his confusion and quiet anger at Reno's lack of appearance hours before was suddenly forgotten. Why hadn't Shake noticed him? Staniv felt a frown crease his weathered forehead as the man stalked off. Whatever his cause for aggravation had been, it had obviously destroyed his usually painfully acute senses to the point that he'd blocked out everything around him... including one of his own.

A moment of confusion stunted Staniv's thoughts as he wondered what could possibly have riled him up. Was he, too, grieving for Godo in his own way... or was it something else?

He moved to where Shake had been beforehand, and clasped his hands together. Something crunched underfoot, and a small piece of paper he hadn't previously noticed appeared before him. He narrowed his cloudy grey eyes at the sight, and picked it up, ignoring the creaking of his aging bones. Bemused by such a small thing, the aide cast a quick, but wary glance around him, hoping no one else had seen Shake's previous behavior. He debated giving the note straight back to the other man without so much as peering briefly at it, but before he could tear his eyes away, an eerily familiar word caught his eye. Or, more correctly, an eerily familiar name.

"What... Reno?" he asked to no one in particular.

With sudden curiosity, Staniv drew in a deep breath, and blew it out again, feeling the growing lengths of his hair stream against his forehead. The tickling that proceeded to cause an annoying itch did not deter him in the slightest from unwrapping the small sheet of paper.

__

'Next time, be more thorough about what you leave lying around... I'm not that_ unresourceful. I'll see you around here... keep an eye out for me - wouldn't want your peers or Yuff to find out about that little incident, now, would you...?_

Didn't think so. Better find me, fast.

~Reno'

If possible Staniv became more confused than he had been before. This note contained no logic... not unless the two had met beforehand. Which they hadn't... or had they?

__

Had the two had contact outside of the meeting? Even just before the meeting? What did Reno mean by 'be more careful what you leave lying around? 

Despite his uncertainties and distinct squall of questions, Staniv was relieved to come to an instant conclusion. If Shake had done something wrong, his guilt would eventually come out. If he prompted him into doing or saying something before he was ready for it, it would only lead to eventual anger. 

But what would Shake have to do with Reno? He seemed to be more concerned with keeping Reno away from them all...

The barest bones of an idea fluttered just out of his reach, and Staniv shook his head. There was something he was missing... and he wasn't quite sure what it was. But at the moment, the least he could do was try to talk to Yuffie again - or at least, sit outside her door and wait until she was ready to deal with other people. At least then he would be the first to meet with her. Perhaps she would have some answers... Staniv sighed, and placed the note into one of his inside pockets for later. If it wasn't one thing, then it was always another...

Maybe it was the Five Gods' way of telling him not to dredge up the past... even the most recent memories of sadness, inner turmoil and confusion...

With a resolve he did not feel, he left the area, head up, shoulders back, jaw square. If he couldn't do anything about one person, he could at least do the only part of his duty that presently came to mind.

But ultimately, one question still remained…

If chances were that Reno was still alive, then was Godo truly dead?

It seemed that even for a weathered warrior, hope sprung eternal…

* * * * *

Yuffie didn't know how long she'd been sitting under her window, her father's music box in her hands, but she was sure it came down to hours, not mere minutes. Time had passed in a blur for her. Whether she wanted them to or not, her memories were evoked by the soft notes that rose from the tiny speakers, but the music no longer soothed her the way it had before. But no matter what she tried, she could not stop her numb fingers from rewinding the small dial each time the music stopped, even though the memories brought her nothing but remembrance of her loss. It was a strange addiction. She so badly wanted to let go, yet she couldn't…

Not yet.

She tipped her head back against the cool windowsill, and felt her hair rustle in the breeze. She idly wondered when the window had been opened, but quelled the thought as she shivered, and merely stood to close it, heading over to her bed instead and pulling up her thick quilt she'd received from Shera the Christmas before. 

AVALANCHE, her other family…

She closed her eyes, and fought to hold back another sob, which bubbled in the back of her throat. Her breathing hitched, and she swallowed a hiccup. She shivered again, and frowned, turning to the window. 

It was open again, and something light and thin was drifting inside.

In the dim lighting she couldn't see what it was, but her intuition told her even before she thought about it. The streetlights and her lamp illuminated the dull item, and she gathered up the wafer-thin object as it floated toward her. A wave of anger washed over her, and she felt herself wanting to give in to the power that it promised. She considered not opening the folded item, but she wanted any news she could get.

When she read it, she was not disappointed. 

__

"Want revenge, leader? Showdown. Now. Come alone…" She read aloud the only seven words on the page with more venom in her voice than she knew she could ever hold. 

On impulse, she obeyed. She gathered her shuriken, and clipped a random status protection armlet on. Gathering her cloak from the hall tree, she slipped it on, feeling it rustle against her legs as it billowed in the icy wind. It felt like rain. Lastly, with a little consideration, she retrieved an item from Reno's bag, which sat neglected on her table. She stuffed the small, warm item down her bra, and covered it by stretching her cloak and her tee shirt.

If he was allowed to break the rules, then she was, too. He just didn't know it yet.

She slipped out her window, and avoided the public eye.

She knew she was probably being stupid, and she knew she probably should have told Staniv…

But this was her father they'd messed with. 

This was _her_ chance.

* * * * *

For Staniv, everything was going reasonably well. He'd left the outside of Yuffie's room earlier, and even though she hadn't let him in, he was at least assured that she was inside – her muffled sobbing could be heard even through the heavy doors, as well as the sound of the music box her father had given her for her birthday years ago. He'd left her chambers about an hour ago, and it was now well past seven. Gorki had called him back to take care of some tasks while he surveyed the town for sights of Carlos; they would have hunted him down to his exact location, but it came down to the fact that Yuffie had all of the notes, and they couldn't remember the man's exact location. But that didn't matter – they were on his trail.

Either way, it was all going according to plan.

But those thoughts were long gone, he realised, as he watched a small servant slip into his office with a flake of paper. His eyes narrowed, and wordlessly, the servant left after handing the item to him. Expecting word from Gorki about his surveillance of the marketplace, he opened it, unthinking.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

__

"Who are you keeping an eye on more, servant. Her, or me? … Are you sure you still know where she is?"

He hadn't run faster in his life.

* * * * *

Author's Notes: Heh… A week. Sorry! I'm secretary to our school Social Committee, and our Formal is in just under a month. There's been so much organizing going on, it's not funny! … But enough of that. Those aren't really valid excuses, now are they? __

CelesteSpring: Eee…Thanks for the criticism. I do_ know that I have a thing for being a little wordy, but you just picked it right up, huh? Yeah, I'm tedious, and not very good at writing, but hey…. ~_^ I read some of your stuff the other day, and I can see why you were picking at mine You write so figuratively! Unfortunately I got cut off halfway through one of them because my brother wanted the computer. Ugh. It wasn't like he was doing anything important – he was only playing Dragon Ball Z… *rolls eyes* But I will read them when I get the time… I added them to my Fave's list for future reading… on second thoughts… maybe I should just delete his game^_^_

The Wanderer: I hope you weren't *really* checking it everyday? My update was_ a _little _more than a week overdue… Ah well, bet you're surprised that I actually did update, huh? I am a little inconsistent at the best of times. :S_

Rose Flame: Builders? Intelligent? …HA! Good One. They ran over Mum's new plants the other day in the digger…now is that_ smart or what? Really, I bet in the end they'll have destroyed more than they've built. Yeah… so much for said timeframe, huh? No excuses, though, just utter procrastination. Just like my Art, and Geography, and English, and Social Committee stuff… (but hey, whose counting? ~_^) Hehe._

Arcander: Thanks! Hope you actually could_ wait, because it sure took a while…!!!_


	15. To Trust A Turk

****

Word of Mouth, 

****

By Ealinesse 

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are Carlos and his cronies… Ugh, lucky me. 

Summary: Three years after the fall of Sephiroth, Yuffie receives a cryptic letter from home that tells her all is not well in Wutai... But what does a certain Turk have to do with anything?

Warnings: Just a little angst, drama…

Category: action/adventure, slight humour? - (not a lot in this chapter though)

****

Chapter Fifteen: To Trust A Turk...

Shake knew the instant that he heard Staniv's voice echo down the halls that something, or someone, was in trouble. At that moment in time, he had no idea of the implications that the sound reserved for him – whether Staniv knew about what had been going on or not – but he was loathe to find out. Either way though, he found his feet pounding in time with his shocked heart as he darted up the flight of stairs, following the sound of the older aide's voice.

Shake reached the top of the last set of stairs and sprinted to where he recognized his peer, Staniv, standing by the entrance to Yuffie's room. Out of breath even from the short run, Shake planted his hands on his hips and slowed his pace to a walk, which spoke even more of his reluctance to meet the other man. His shock peaked however, when Staniv merely handed a note to him. His chocolate eyes widened, and for an instant he thought it to be the arrogant message Reno had left for him earlier that the other man held. It wasn't.

Even as his mind fumbled for an explanation, Shake's already wide eyes sponged up the information that his sight was relaying to him. His heart fell, and he wondered idly why he had ever worried so much about his own well being. A sudden anger that he could not place filled him with anxiety, and he raised his gaze to meet Staniv's.

After about ten seconds, and what he thought to be intense scrutiny, Shake lowered his eyes first, and grabbed at a torrent of words. "Is she in there? Is Miss Yuffie all right? Have you-"

"Quiet," Staniv raised a cloaked arm to silence the man, "and listen."

There was a second of uncomfortable silence, which made Shake feel like even more of a fool. His characteristic impatience soon got the best of him when he failed to see the point of his peer's actions. "What do you mean, listen? I can't hear anything!"

The older aide lowered his head and reached out to the door handle, his weathered lips drawn back into a grim line. "Exactly."

Shake's face flushed in shame, and he ducked his head. Such observations were the primary step of even the most untrained Wutaian. "I… Where is she?"

There was a low sigh. "I have no idea. For all we know, she could be in there sleeping, completely oblivious to us or anything else." Staniv paused, his hand hovering worriedly above the handle. "Then again, she could be gone, and we would have never known had we not received this." The aide gestured disgustedly at the note, his voice filled with loathing and distress.

Shake lowered his eyes to the floor, and stepped forward to open the door. He was met with a resistance that could be brought only from a lock, and he muffled a curse. "Why is it still locked! We need to get in there!"

"And how do you suggest we do that, Master Shake?" Staniv said wryly with a tired sigh. "Pick the lock?"

"Yes!" But even as he said it, Shake realized that it was pointless. He knew neither of them had that ability anymore. And even if they had, the locks in the master bedrooms had been changed earlier in the year to ones that only the inhabitants of the room could unlock with the key. They didn't possess them, and they were accessible only to Godo and his daughter. Unless a person could get their keys, Shake noted with regret that they would need an expert to even try; a professional; someone who knew what they were doing and could get them in there fast, before it was too late…

If it wasn't already.

"I threw away my lockpicks years ago," Staniv continued, "as did you. These doors are also too heavy and thick to be taken down by just us. I'm afraid we didn't pay enough attention to old Master Reedav's lessons when we were younger, Shake. Perhaps we wouldn't be in this situation if we had..."

"We can always try."

"By all means, go ahead."

Shake shook his head at the irony in Staniv's voice. This wasn't the strong, capable man he knew. He tried again. "Is there anything we could use?" The instant he said it, Shake answered his own question, picturing elegant curtains crumpled on the floor, surrounded by small metal elements, some broken, some not. "I'll be back shortly."

He didn't wait for any confirmation before he sprinted headlong down the hall.

* * * * *

Twenty minutes and four broken curtain brackets later, the two Wutaian men found themselves in, unremarkably, the same situation. Knelt uncomfortably by the now-scratched lock, Shake bit his lip in anticipation as Staniv stood worriedly behind him, awaiting one of two results. He twisted the small slip of metal a little further, feeling small drops of sweat bead on his forehead. Under the agonizing pressure in the room, though, the fifth makeshift lockpick bent, then snapped completely. 

In frustration, Shake threw the remaining piece left in his hand down the hallway. The accompanying clang as the item found its way down a set of stairs was all-too familiar; it only echoed their failure. He turned to Staniv, who was glaring at the unforgiving door with a cold loathing he had not seen before.

"We failed."

"We did not _fail_. All we _need_ is _someone_ who _can_ pick locks," Shake stated bluntly, scowling. And at that, the aide groaned in realization. The solution was now painfully obvious after their deficiency. Couldn't that Turk could pick locks… And wasn't he still around somewhere…

But even as the thoughts occurred to him, he pushed them back. He had told Reno that he would never need his help, _ever_. He still wished to retain that idea, but recognized it as futile. It was only common sense… after all, they were saving their ruler… one of the few who was of a pure Wutaian bloodline remaining… a young woman who had been his friend and companion for many years…

Caught in an internal struggle all his own, Staniv didn't notice Shake's warring emotions until the shorter man took a small, uncertain step forward.

"I know someone who may be able to help us."

To this Staniv opened his eyes, and couldn't place the unease he felt in his companion. "Who?"

"It all depends if he could help us… I might not be able to find him… I know he's around here somewhere," Shake continued, avoiding the question.

As Staniv went to ask again, he found himself faced with nothing but open air. He narrowed his eyes as he observed Shake's receding figure tearing for the second time around the corner. He pulled out the other note he had in his pocket, wondering just how many of his suspicions would prove to be correct upon his associate's return.

* * * * *

Shake tore down the courtyard's stairs blindly, checking building after building to no avail. He had already searched much of the Royal Grounds, but there was no sign of Reno anywhere. Everyone he had asked had no clue who he was talking about, and only fixed him with looks of uncertain doubt and confusion. Internally, he realized there was little doubt that Reno had hidden himself well, though being able to act stealthily was certainly part of a Turk's job description. Although no trace of him remained, he had to be here somewhere…

Didn't he?

Sweat from both physical exhaustion and anxiety streamed down his face, and onto the high neckline of his official robes. He stopped and bent over to momentarily catch his breath, placing his hands on his knees, watching the artificial lighting of the outdoor courtyard play with his shadows. There weren't many other places he could be. And it was true, he was just about to give up, when a familiar figure through an open doorway caused him to pause.

He blinked, then scowled at the irony of finding Reno in such a place. He stood fully, placing his hands on his hips. In the space of the four seconds it took him to enter the temple's doorway, Shake thought of everything he was doing this for, what it was worth, and why. Then he squared his shoulders, and hoped like hell that this wasn't all for nothing.

__

'This is your chance to fix what you started. Now do it…'

* * * * *

Reno sat back tiredly on the chair he'd stolen from one of the Pagoda's hallways. He had long since become bored, and he wondered briefly at the wisdom of his promise to stay on the grounds. 

There was nothing to do here, no one worthwhile to talk to - the place was uneventful at best. As it was, he didn't quite know how he'd come to arrive here, at this specific place. He had wondered the corridors for a while, thinking over the past few days, and somehow – and hell if he knew how – his two feet had found their way here, to the Temple of Leviathon, of all places.

The inhabitants of the small shrine had not bothered him as he had walked in, and so he and his trusty seat had been allowed to rest here for the last two hours without question. He looked up at the people around him briefly, noticing how occasionally their ebony gazes would come to rest on him. They never said anything, and had not even so much as approached him; more interested in their own chanted mantras at the foot of the large jade statue. 

That was the good thing about this place, Reno decided. In a temple all was forgiven and forgotten; any guest was unquestioned. And, even so, scars of the past gave you all the more reason to crave the solace of a penance…

The Turk scowled and rubbed a callused hand over his face. He closed his eyes and held back a yawn at the thought of how tired he must actually be to have a thought like that occur to him. He hadn't thought of such a thing in years. Not since Tseng's death, when in his will even the calculating Wutaian man had requested to have his ashes scattered over Da Chao, where his roots lay…

Reno slapped a hand to his forehead. "Shit, do I need to get some sleep."

This time he was granted a glare – a vast change in expression compared to the dull mask of expressionless. He almost left then, not liking the outlook this place was giving his dulled mind. He was ready to pack up and go when a familiar face walked through the door. He had a sudden urge to just walk out and leave the bumbling aide behind, but thought better of it.

Instead he sat back in his seat and assumed a neutral but amused expression. _'Might as well get comfortable, 'cos he sure as hell isn't…'_

* * * * *

Shake regarded the redheaded man with a look of barely withheld disapproval. He stood stock-still for a moment and watched as, by the second, the man's short-lived tension dissipated, and he sat back in the chair. He ignored the remainder of the people in the room; they would not question his association with such a man, no matter how strange the connection would at first seem.

Reno smirked, his casual countenance once again acquired. "Well, it's about bloody time."

Shake blanched at the calm cloak Reno had donned. Reno certainly wasn't about to make things easy for him. He wrung his hands together behind his back, hoping the Turk wouldn't notice the rigid tenseness in his shoulders underneath all of the heavy official clothing he wore.

__

What do I say…?

"Well…?"

Shake sighed, realizing that time was of the essence. There was no point delaying the inevitable. He took a step forward, his expression resolutely serious. "I need your help."

This time Reno could not hold back his shock. He blinked. "You what?"

Shake lowered his eyes. "_We._ Staniv and I. We need your help."

"Why the _hell_ would you possibly want me to help _you_? What was that you said earlier? Something about not needing me _ever_?" 

Shake grimaced as Reno's voice raised to intolerable levels for such a place. He looked up briefly, noticing that everyone else in the room seemed to have focussed solely on the two of them. In an action borne of frustration and shame for causing such a reaction, Shake darted forward and latched onto Reno's arm, forcibly dragged the resisting Turk outside into the darkness.

When they were free of prying eyes, Reno irritably shrugged Shake's hand off. "What the hell was that for?"

"You were drawing attention to us."

"So what?"

"You-" Shake shook his head dismissively, pushing aside his desire to press any blame. "Look, are you going to help us, or not?" 

He watched as the moon glinted dangerously off the Turk's eyes as it would off a cold steel blade. After a moment, Reno crossed his arms, considering Shake's words against what would have usually been his better judgement. When he spoke, his voice was ominously low. "What do you need help with?"

Shake turned. "Follow me." A firm hand on his shoulder stopped him mid-stride, and he sighed. "What now?"

"I didn't say I was going to help you, I only asked what you could possibly need my help _for_."

"Well, if you'd follow me I could explain, couldn't I? Just come with me, I don't have time for this."

"Well then that's your own stupid fault."

Shake scowled, resigned, and stared the Turk right in the eye. "Must you be so difficult?"

"I wouldn't be being nearly so difficult if you would answer my questions in the first place."

The short aide resisted the urge to seriously hurt the man. There was no doubt they needed him right now, and aggravating him any more than he already had was out of the question. Instead, he forced his face to remain neutral, and raised an eyebrow. 

"You will perhaps help us if I explain right now?"

"Perhaps."

"So you wish me to explain, then?"

"Please."

Shake had never heard that word sound so false, so sarcastic. He continued anyway, but with a withering gaze, as if the very problem would sound insignificant to a Turk. When Reno didn't reply, he narrowed his gaze. "Did you even hear a word I just said?"

Again, there was no reply. The Turk was looking off in some other direction. "Reno!"

"What!"

"Were you even listening?"

"Quiet!"

"Why?"

"Just _listen_, will you?" Reno scowled as the aide fell silent, and struggled to make out the minute movement he had just seen. A hushed rustling accompanied the action, then it was gone. Had he imagined it? Surely the guards by the fence would have noticed anything should there have been any disturbance, especially considering the distance from them that he was.

Shake, whose patience was already wearing thin, interrupted Reno's thoughts. He was fast regretting becoming this desperate for help. "What are you talking about?"

Reno pointed. "There was someone just over there."

Shake looked for a second, but didn't see anything. He glared, and seriously considered walking away. "Stop fooling around, Turk."

"I'm not fooling around!"

"Look, we have more important things to worry about right now."

"Like what?"

"Like getting Yuffie out of her room so we can talk to her."

Then it all clicked. Reno turned to see the figure make its way silently out of shadows, before it disappeared altogether, only to flit seconds later to another location across the street. The silvery slip of a moon silhouetted the figure before it went… a figure that was very familiar. He began to turn to Shake, trying not to lose sight of the person before it disappeared completely. "It's her."

Shake had heard nearly enough. "What are you on about now? Stop wasting time. We have to get back and get Yuffie out!"

Reno gestured toward the shadows at the street's entrance. "It's Yuffie. Over there." He followed his own movements, but it seemed that even after an inattentiveness of only a second, the frame had disappeared completely into the hazy blackness.

"Nonsense," Shake spat. "The guards would have noticed her leave." For Shake, that was it. He turned to leave. "Are you coming to help, or not?"

Reno cursed the man's disbelief, then followed, unsure why. A feeling of unease formed in the pit of his stomach, and no matter what he tried, it wouldn't go away. He had been listening to Shake about that note even as he'd been scouting the shadows, and if the words from Carlos were right, and if that was Yuffie sneaking away, then she could be headed right into a trap…

* * * * *

When the two figures walked back up the stairway, Staniv forced himself to reserve his own judgement. He glanced first at Shake, then his disapproval came to settle upon Reno. It seemed that the redhead's unpredictability was, well… exactly that. He forced himself to breathe, and remind himself that any help from _anyone_ at this time was necessary. However, he still couldn't hold back his disappointment of the Turk not being at the last meeting, despite his word.

He took a step forward, his expression guarded. "Where were you before?"

Reno smirked and cast a sidelong glance at Shake, who blanched. "I was delayed."

Staniv narrowed his eyes. "You gave us your word you would be here."

"I did."

"Well then, where were you?"

"Oh, I was here, all right." There was another smirk on Reno's behalf at his own puzzlement, then another glimpse at the shorter aide. The Turk opted for a companionable clap on his shoulder. "Ask ol' Shake, here."

Staniv spared Reno a quizzical glance. "And why should I ask Shake?"

"Because he was the one who locked me in the room."

__

'Well this is certainly getting more interesting by the second.' He paused, then, "He locked you in a room?"

"Don't look at me as if it were my bloody idea! Hell if I know where I was. It didn't take me too long to get out, though. Your locks are useless."

"If Shake locked you in, how did you get out?"

"I used the curtain brackets."

"Indeed?" Staniv appraised Shake with a wary gaze, before flicking his gaze back to Reno, who seemed to be delighting in making his peer sweat with anxiety with as few time-consuming words as possible. After racking his mind of anything else he could question the Turk about, he came up blank. The image of Shake futily trying to pry open the doors with broken curtain brackets popped into his mind.

"So that explains the disturbed decor on the fourth floor?"

A grin, and a wince. "I guess so."

Staniv turned to Shake, who was now rather pale. "So you've taken to locking our guests away in rooms, Master Shake? Even ones who have valuable information that could have possibly saved Lord Godo's life?" His voice rose to the point where the younger aide began to tremble.

"I… I never meant to… but-"

With a small smile, Staniv raised his hand and shook his head slowly. When Shake's stuttering quieted, he pulled the note he'd recovered earlier from his pocket, handing it over to the frightened man. He opted for a sympathetic, but knowing smile, while the other man couldn't help but look more surprised. "I know you never intended for this to happen. We'll talk later. Right now, we have to fill Reno in on all the details, like we were supposed to earlier." He turned to the Turk in question without second thought, and gestured at the lock. "Can you pick this?"

Reno folded his arms and cocked his head to the side. "You'll tell me everything that's happened since I've been gone, if I do?"

Staniv nodded. "I will. The Shinra are no longer our enemies." Shake jumped at this, but Reno smirked.

"Well about time."

* * * * *

When Reno felt the lock click, he let out a sigh of relief. The same curtain bracket had held out its luck for him. Again, he pocketed it. He stood and turned the handle to the door, feeling the satisfaction of knowing that he could do something that the other two men with him couldn't. 

"Access ala Reno," he grinned.

He pushed the door open and stepped inside, feeling something sink inside him as he soon realized that Yuffie was no longer there. In the two seconds that it took Shake and Staniv to follow him - and in the time he'd surmised that he'd been right earlier, and Shake wrong - he had already surveyed the room for every telltale sign he could. The gasps behind him, no matter how smothered or secreted, told him that the men behind him were in shock, stuck in the black tar that lay between denial and acceptance.

He said nothing as he began to examine everything a second time. He walked past the open window, spotted his bag in the corner, the tearstained desk, the music box which had yet to be rewound, and the slightly rumpled bed. A small crumpled object caught his eye and he followed his line of sight, and picked up the note that lay by the obviously quite pummeled pillow.

__

"Want revenge, leader? Showdown. Now. Come alone…" 

Reno almost dropped the paper at what the note implied. He crushed the small item in his fist and closed his eyes, unsure of what should happen next. There was no doubt that that lone figure in the darkness had been Yuffie, and he also held little doubt that she was seeking vengeance. From what both Staniv and Shake had told him, she was surely not thinking clearly…

"What is it?"

It seemed Staniv had momentarily recovered himself, though his face was white as parchment, and his lips were drawn in a thin, grievous line. His shoulders were slumped, and his arms hung in a look that spoke of defiant failure. Shake soon followed, looking no less composed.

Reno handed the paper over, carefully gauging both men's reactions as they allowed their eyes a first, then a second read of the contents.

"Surely she wouldn't… " Shake let his voice trail off into the darkness. His own uncertainty echoed the knowledge that Yuffie would have indeed gone after Carlos for revenge. Whether she knew how much she was getting herself into, was another story.

Shake turned to Staniv. "We have to go after her! We have to do something!"

"Of course we do, Master Shake. We have to leave at once! Call Gorky. Gather your weapons-"

"Wait just a minute!" Reno spun to face them, incredulous. "You mean to say that you're just going to leap into the building right now – if you even know where it is to start with – and go after Carlos and Yuffie like it's actually going to be easy?"

The looks on the two men's faces mirrored Reno's words.

"No way. Do you know how risky it is to the future of Wutai if you just go leaping after that man without any thought? Just who the hell is going to look after this place?" There was another silence. "Shit. Okay, do you know anything about that man? Or the men with him? Do you know where they are? Their abilities? Anything?"

"We don't know whether…" At Reno's sour look, Shake fell silent.

"Look," he said, shrugging. "What use to Yuffie and Godo are you going to be if you go stumbling blindly into one of those old buildings without knowing anything about the situation? That's right, none. I know you have your pride, and you may not like it, but the best you can do right now is call the remainder of the authorities together and get plans of the buildings, identities of the men, et cetera, and hope like hell you're going to get there in time." He paused, judging the grief on the men's faces. He could easily see that he had struck a nerve. "You both know how much time that's going to take. And as warriors you both know what a liability is."

"There's no way we can help? We can't just sit back and wait for news! We have to do something!"

"Shake's right, Reno, I'm certainly not sitting back and waiting for any news, knowing that there was nothing I could do to prevent me from failing anymore."

"Look, I'm not saying that. Just think, all right? There's no use in busting into a building where you could fuck up any advantage Yuffie might have had. You don't want to push Carlos, trust me, right now that's the last thing we want. You'd be better to gather all of you and scout the outside of the building. Keep an eye the on the location. Stop anyone who comes out, stop anyone from going in. Remain out of sight, but watch the place. It's potentially a hostage situation." It felt strange him being the voice of reason, but just why was everything Tseng had taught him just surfacing _now_?

Shake didn't like the sound of Reno's words. "We can't help the inside? Surely we can't leave them in there without help?"

"It's way too dangerous for any of you aides to go in there. I know you're fighters, but if you got yourselves killed, and Yuffie and Godo _are_ dead, then who's going to run the country? Come on, you must have something that covers this!"

"That's all we can do?"

Staniv's lowered gaze lifted to meet that of Reno's. "I'm afraid that Reno is right. We all have knowledge too valuable to lose. In the case that Yuffie is also now gone, we can't do anything but be spectators." There was a moment's silence, after which Staniv began walking out the door. He held it open for Shake, his control momentarily regained. "But even to watch and scout we must have equipment. Come, we have to hurry, and call the rest of the authorities. Research can still be done in order to see what else we can do. As Reno said, we have to seize what little time we may have, and pray to Leviathon that the Gods are with us tonight."

As Shake walked out the door, Reno felt an odd emotion fill him that he couldn't place. As he watched the two aides move to leave, he made another decision. Hastily, he grabbed his bag and checked for materia, before arming his weapons and slipping knives into his boots. He thought the other two had gone, but as he was readying himself, a voice spoke in the doorway.

"And just what are you going to do then, Reno?"

He turned to Staniv. "I know a hell of a lot more about the place than you do." He crossed his arms, slung his bag over his back before swooping under the window frame, sure to escape faster that way. Someone had to go after Yuffie possibly before it was too late. He knew of no one else, and that it couldn't be any of the aides. He had the most knowledge of the place, as well as the area around the alley. He knew the location, and it was not only a matter concerning him, but it was his mission. Strangely, it was all logical. 

Shake stepped inside again, his expression wary. "So you mean to say it's _you_ going to go after them instead of us?

"Of course."

"But-"

He smirked. "I'm a Turk. Improvisation is what I do best. Just trust me. I'll have back up. I'll even signal you if it's all clear, okay?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He was out of the grounds and on his way down the alleys before the two aides could say another word. Staniv had been understanding, and even knew it was his case; he had seen it in his eyes. He had explained that to them whilst unlocking the door… they had been through everything. He had earlier obtained maps from the city the day before, and had studied them in between a few beers. He _did_ know what he was doing more than them...

And besides, he needn't tell them he didn't have much back up, that Rude and Elena had yet to arrive tomorrow. 

He scowled as the cool night air whipped harshly at his face. He couldn't tell what was driving him to do this. He knew that those files he had been looking for earlier were his ticket out of here, and off this mission. If he could somehow get his hands on those documents, _and_ Carlos before he made a run for it, his work for the case would be done. There would be less tracings to be done, less research, and most of all, less paperwork. Back up would have been logical, but unlike what he'd said to Staniv, did he have the time?

No, he thought. He'd made up his mind. He kept running. Time was ticking, and his opportunities were fast flying out of the proverbial window.

He only hoped that it all showed through in the end.

* * * * *

__

Author's Notes: Eep! Okay, so a plus is that the ball is now finished, meaning I don't have to worry about many time consuming things such as decorations, and bands, and photographers, etc…

I know it took me a long time, but seriously… *wipes forehead* … phew! 

Tell me what you think about this chapter. *Dances around* Nearly done, nearly done! Only hope I didn't disappoint you all too much… provided you didn't just wonder off thinking I'd never update ever again…

Arcander: Eee… Sorry! I really didn't mean to make it take this long, but you know how time all adds up? Yeah yeah, enough with my excuses. I apologize! Lol.

CelesteSpring: I didn't mean to imply that! I know I am really wordy, so I appreciate your feedback. A good constructive review generally means more to me because then I know that the person has actually taken the time to actually analyze the fic, and tell me what they think could be improved, etc. It is often really hard to get a constructive review for some fandoms.

The Wanderer5: The builders are no problem now,… I think they got sick of us, really… Lmfao. I'm sure that they won't bother me any more. Well, I'm not sure of that, but as long as my brother doesn't go bashing *another* hole in the wall, I'm sure everything will be fine… Hehehe…

Thesaxmaster: Thanks for your review. I'll be sure to pop over and review your work sometime soon. I have a lot more free time on my hands now with the senior ball over, so I have actually read fics as well as review them! 

EVERYBODY: Hang in there, the end is in sight!

Cheers!

~Ealinesse. ^_^ (… Who is moving right on to the next chapter).


	16. In Love And War

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Word of Mouth, 

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By Ealinesse 

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are Carlos and his cronies… Ugh, lucky me. 

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Summary: Three years after the fall of Sephiroth, Yuffie receives a cryptic letter from home that tells her all is not well in Wutai... But what does a certain Turk have to do with anything?

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Warnings: Just a little angst, drama…

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Category: action/adventure, slight humour?

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Chapter Sixteen: In Love And War...

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Making her way down the alleys had seemed but a blur of time, a matter of minutes condensed into a summary of seconds. She had no idea how long it had all taken her, but as she stood at the entrance of the large building, the omen of danger now seemed very real. The large steel door glistened in the twilight, a mere barrier between her and her father. A cold shiver ran down her spine.

She had been there for only a moment, she was sure, but as she watched, and as if by magic, two men melted out from the darkness, and she shuffled involuntarily back. Whatever force had led her here still remained, but her fear was a constant presence. That such people could sneak up on her so unsuspecting made her feel no better. Filtering her senses throughout the alley, she finally realized they were the only ones there.

The taller of the two, a lanky man with limp, ashen hair, stepped boldly forward. She flinched, but he made no move to attack her, and instead donned an amused expression. A scar ran the length of his jawline, another across his eyebrow and into his hairline. In the dim lighting, she could just make out an eye that was badly disfigured, thin lips but a blemish on a hideously angular countenance. A scowl flickered across the pockmarked face.

"Who are you?"

She was in no mood for questions, and she hadn't recognized the rage pent up inside of her until that moment. She took an equally confident footstep forward. "You know who I am." She flashed her emblazoned shuriken in the man's face.

He blanched, then moved forward to search her. After she had had enough of being pushed around by one of the ugliest men she had ever seen in her life, and when the man moved too close to the item she'd concealed inside her top, she stepped disgustedly away.

"Are you quite done?"

The man looked as if Christmas had been cancelled, while the shorter one held back a lofty grin.

"All right," his gravelly voice snapped. "Go in." 

There was something off in the man's expression as the door creaked open and she was led inside, but whatever it was, she ignored it. She paid no attention to what was going on, and again, the corridors blurred one into the other. They were of no concern to her right now.

In what she deemed was all too soon, she was led into a large, open area. She hid her shock at the furnishings in the room, which were not what she'd been expecting. What she had anticipated to be but a cardboard box in the ground was in fact a fully-furnished lounge. There were rugs, carpets, draperies, couches, and even electronic equipment she couldn't fully recognize. She had no doubt that most of it was stolen, but she kept it to herself as the room suddenly filled with men; criminals, she ascertained. The ones who had helped kidnapped her father.

Her expression hardened as she recognized a painfully familiar face in the crowd.

"I see you turned up, leader."

She tried to remain calm, but the temperature was rising, and it seemed as if everyone but her were comfortably at ease. "Of course I did."

"You don't think that was perhaps a bit foolish?"

Yuffie shrugged, and folded her arms across her chest in what she hoped was an assured expression of arrogance. "It doesn't matter."

"It will soon."

"And why is that?"

Carlos smirked in an expression that made her wince and take a step back – right into someone else. The man who she had inadvertently crashed into made a lame grasp her for, but she danced out of his reach, only now realizing that she had, in her intense, angry focus on Carlos, been surrounded in a circle of hideous, leering men. 

"What'sa matter, sugar?" one said. "Don't want to be here?"

She held back a wince, and refocused herself instead, on Carlos. "Where's my father? What have you done with Reno?"

"Ah, so that was the redhead's name." Carlos seemed to ponder this for a second, and picked idly at his dark, torn vest. Then he shrugged, looking her directly in the eye. "Never mind. I don't suppose it matters now, anyway, I've already disclosed to you both of their fates." Carlos gestured carelessly to one of the couches, where an indistinct blob of fabric lay. 

Yuffie glared at Carlos, who motioned her to take a look. Strangely enough, she complied, and made her way through the group of men to the couch. Immediately she identified the first object - the green one: her father's over-tunic. It was disgustingly dirty and covered in filth. There was another item, though, a vague mess of torn white and ruby cloth. _'No,'_ she realized, immediately correcting herself. _'Blood, not material.'_

She was about to claim no knowledge of the bloodstained white object, but then a very familiar starched collar peeked out from among the heap. She picked it up, horrified to notice that the shirt was none other than Reno's - unfixable, useless and caked in dried blood. She dropped the item as if burnt and tore her eyes from the Turk's discarded shirt, moving her uneasy gaze on to her father's. There was no less of the life-sustaining fluid on his, either.

Yuffie spun, her eyes flashing in anger as she spotted the gaping tears and wounds in the sides of both items. Her hazel eyes burned with fresh tears, but she ignored them. There would be time for that later. "You didn't have to… you didn't-"

"Now, now, leader. You didn't really think I was going to lie to you again, did you? Now enough of the small talk, it's time to solve this!"

And as Carlos fixed her with a dark grin, she couldn't find anything of worth to say, the image of Reno's and her father's crimson clothes rooted too firmly in her mind.

* * * * *

Even though he knew where he was going, it took what felt like forever for him to get there. The streets were again quiet, and every now and again he would pass the occasional drunk, mindless piles of various men who were too intoxicated to find any other place to rest their weary heads. It was one such man he accidentally stumbled blindly over. He turned to bumble a brief apology…

But that was before he noticed the pool of growing blood under the unrecognizable body. 

"Oi, you okay?" The answer would have been obvious had the man the ability to speak. Reno took a wary step forward, cautious of any traps that may had been laid for one such as him. After receiving no word of warning, or any such sound he could define as human, he crouched quickly and pulled back the hood of the man's cloak.

"Shit," he groaned, immediately distinguishing the once-frightened features of the man he had encountered two days previous. He checked the man's pulse, and upon finding no result, pulled away from the body. He was long-since dead. Not wasting time on surmising how he had been killed, Reno instead continued running, hoping like hell he wasn't too late. He already knew who had done this, and right at this moment in time, the how didn't matter.

It were the other deaths he had to prevent.

* * * * *

As Carlos took a step toward her, Yuffie scowled. "Why did you call me here? To brag?"

Carlos sneered. "Isn't the answer to that just a trifle obvious?" 

Her look of discontent deepened. This man was only trying to mess with her, and that was something she was not going to allow. Her eyes narrowed, and she glared wholeheartedly at Carlos. This small talk was giving her all the more reason to hate him. Her fists clenched. She didn't care what happened to the others, as long as Carlos went down. And didn't get up.

Carlos seemed to ignore her inner conflict, instead offering but an amused smirk. "Not going to answer?" he asked coyly, his voice mocking. "Don't tell me you're going to walk out on me already." 

Again, she didn't reply. She bit the inside of her cheek to guise any cutting remarks.

"Not even going to set the terms?" Carlos continued, slipping a knife from his pocket and spinning it in his fingers. Suddenly, he threw the item by the blade into the air, where it spun wildly for a second, before gravity pulled it back down. The man caught it without so much as the slightest hesitation and continued to idly twirl it in his grasp. He snickered. 

"Very well, then." He ordered the others to step back, and they did so instantly, instead forming a loose arena around the duo. Carlos carelessly chucked the weapon to the floor, where it embedded in the hardwood ground. "Hand to hand. No weapons, no magic." He cocked his head. "Deal?"

"Deal." Despite how fast it was all moving, Yuffie took a confident step forward. She raised her chin, sizing up the man who had not so much as a regret to killing another. Yuffie smothered a scowl. She was going to make him regret something, alright, and that was the fact that he was going to regret never dealing with her when he'd got the chance.

She hoped her sudden assuredness lasted, though, but she hadn't time to make so much as a second accompanying thought to that. As soon as she'd discarded her weapons to the sofa, Carlos lunged forward with a speed borne more commonly of others much smaller than he, and it was all she could do to get out of the way in time. She staggered quickly back, deciding upon the defensive to take the first few seconds of the fight to figure out just how the hell she was going to win this one.

And as she dodged another blow, and spun under yet another to give herself more room in the circle, she realized that she didn't have long to figure that out. 

* * * * *

"I'm sorry, sir. There's no match for the area."

Staniv sighed. They had been at the local Police Station for close to fifteen minutes and had found out nothing of use. They had tried searching the local database for anything under the name 'Carlos'. It had been a broad search, but nothing had turned up in the area of Wutai. They had already searched the Junon one. Nothing. Not even so much as a mismatch.

The old aide ran a tired hand over his face, thinking hard. "I think Reno mentioned something to do with Midgar. Try that."

Even as he watched, four matches turned up, and he wondered why he hadn't thought of it earlier. The first file was hopeless, but the second turned up a personnel file from the old Shinra databases, which had been modified over the years to become none other than a Corrections Department file. He skimmed the file quickly. From the way Reno had been talking, this was their man. 

"Print it. Find out all you can. Print a mug shot, too. We need to find him. " 

As the printer spat out the photo, Staniv snatched it up and couldn't help but frown. This was the first real glimpse he had had of the mind behind all of this business, and he was not liking what he saw. And from looking at his credentials, Staniv could tell that this man, this Carlos Ilantra, was one very dangerous man.

He prayed harder for Reno's success in bringing his charge home.

* * * * *

Yuffie ducked under the blow and hastily wiped at the sweat that was beginning to drip into her eyes. The crowd of men around her leered, but otherwise stayed out of the fight as she ducked and rolled around the makeshift ring. She bit back a wince. She knew that she was certainly not unfit, especially with all the hours she spent in their dojo, but Carlos was no slacker either. She dodged again, biding her time, hoping he was going to tire soon.

So far she'd been caught unaware at least twice, catching the tough end of the blows. Moments later it was no different. While she was spinning away to avoid one fist, another seemed to come up out of nowhere, and she reeled backward as pain blossomed across her face, her vision momentarily nothing but stars. 

She recovered quickly, but kept her silence after the shot; no words had been exchanged the whole time, but right now though, she could tell Carlos was only playing with her. He was definitely capable of hitting a lot harder than that. 

But then again, so was she.

She aimed a kick at the man's chest even as he spun out of the way from her previous deflecting shot. She felt the satisfaction of the blow hitting solid flesh. The man stumbled back, and she continued with her momentum, landing a back-turning side-kick at the same spot. While he was still recovering, Yuffie landed a follow-up jolt to Carlos's kneecap. She heard Carlos's breath wheeze in his throat as he slid back into the crowd from the impact. Some of his men caught him, but he was back on his feet seconds later, albeit a little unbalanced. There were definite advantages to being made of nothing but solid muscle.

"Not bad," said Carlos wryly, holding his palm up to stop any further blows, his dark eyes glittering in amusement. She watched him wipe invisible dust off his crumpled vest as she sucked air in deeply to regain her breath.

"But can you dodge this?"

This time she could see he wasn't messing around. Somehow he moved faster - a _lot_ faster. Yuffie felt the impact from several shots even before she could gather her wits about her and duck to avoid having her neck broken. She scowled and pushed herself harder, allowing herself a calming breath before launching into a barrage of kicks. She had to rely on her speed, not her anger to get her through this, and right now it wasn't working. She just had to focus.

"Come on, leader," taunted one of the crowd seconds later. "Can't you do any better than that?"

Yuffie leapt aside to avoid a sweep of the man's foot, and ducked under a consecutive punch, offering a sweeping kick of her own while she was down. Off balance and too focussed on her face to notice the movement, Carlos tipped suddenly backward from the unexpected shot. He landed on the ground with a solid thump, falling back into the crowd for a second time in under a minute with a muffled curse. Everyone went silent as he got up… again.

She hadn't seen him gather the discarded knife from the floor in the commotion, but she certainly saw it now. As Carlos stepped menacingly forward, she scowled. 

"Cheat."

The man sneered. "I'm disappointed in you, Yuffie. You should know me better than to hold such a promise by now."

If she thought the odds had been tipped in Carlos's favour before, then she was wrong. It was all she could do not to have her throat cut as she dodged a backhanded swipe, swinging her arm up and dodging out of the way as fast as she could. It wasn't fast enough. Instead she felt the sharp, searing pain of the blade slicing down her forearm as she hastened to move out of the way. She gasped in pain and stumbled back, but Carlos continued his assault, not allowing her any time to register the damage done to her arm.

Unable to grant herself the luxury of supporting the injury in her grasp, Yuffie held the wound tightly against her side, breathing sharply as she struggled to see through the sweat pouring into her eyes. She sidestepped another couple of slashes, but imminently realized that her only chance was going to be in getting a hold of the knife. With one arm weakened and bloodied, she knew her chances, and knew that she had to do it soon.

In pain and desperation, she lunged at Carlos even as he brought his arm down in a deadly and vicious ark. Yuffie stepped into the blow, leaning into the man and finally finding purchase on his arm mid-strike. She fought the pain as her injured arm was jostled with the movement, and struggled to hold onto the thick wrist as he tried to wrestle it from her grip. She held on fiercely with a vengeance, knowing she had a lot to prove, and when she realized Carlos wasn't going to give the blade up without a fight, she aimed a vicious kick at his shins.

The blow was enough.

Instead of letting go from the pain the large man hopped around on one foot, but still held onto the weapon. Uncaring, she reached up with her injured arm as well, even as Carlos tried to use his height to his advantage. She pulled all her weight down on the weapon, and Carlos, who was still cursing in pain from her earlier ploy, tipped forward, off balance.

They both tumbled to the ground, and in the scuffle the knife scattered away. The crowd, unsure of the latest developments, washed backward like a temperamental tide, away from the knife and the wrestling duo.

Somehow - and hell it she knew how - Yuffie ended up the better off from the fall. She landed on her good side and rolled away from Carlos, moving fast for possession of the knife, knowing that she was no match for him in a brawl borne out of brute strength. With her good arm outstretched, reaching just inches from the bloody blade, Yuffie swore when she felt a hand close around her ankle and drag her easily back. Her hands clawed at the rugs covering the floors, but she felt her heart sink as she did nothing but tow them up with her. Yelling in defiance, she could do little as she was eventually grabbed by her injured arm and pulled to her knees. She writhed in the grip, but realized right now there was little she could do to gain the upper hand. 

Even so, as Carlos leapt for the knife, she dived for it as well, catching a fierce fist in the sternum as he grabbed for the weapon. Unprepared for such a distracted blow, she was suddenly cast onto her side on the floor. Her hands flew to her chest as she gasped for breath, winded. She stared through wide eyes as she watched Carlos get slowly to his feet, his breath coming no more freely than hers.

"Nice… try," he muttered, once again twirling the blade at his fingertips.

She hated the look of satisfied triumph in his eyes, but she could see it was there, just under the surface. Victory, he thought, was his. Sucking in air but unable to breathe any of it, Yuffie realized just how hopeless and weak she looked; so injured and alone. She clutched at her shirt and ducked her head, unwilling to accept that she had lost any hope of avenging those lost, when she felt something warm and comforting throb just under the fabric of her shirt.

And that's when she remembered. Her eyes widened, and she was glad her downcast eyes hid this. She felt the beginnings of a smile forming on her lips, and wondered how she'd forgotten something she'd planned so meticulously. 

Making a show of nursing her injured arm and breathing heavily, she made sure her hands disguised the movement, and just as Carlos was about to bring the knife down on her - and she finished recovering from the blow - she reached quickly into her shirt for the item she had concealed there earlier; that the men hadn't even noticed under her shirt.

"For father," she whispered under her breath as she called upon Reno's spell in her mind. A sudden bright burst of orange and red flame instantly lit up the otherwise obscurely dull room, and the moment before the whirl of fire descended on him, Yuffie delighted in the expression of defeat and innermost torture on Carlos's face.

"All's fair in love and war," she whispered as her father's killer was engulfed in the flames of the mastered Fire2 spell. A terrified, pained scream bit through the air, and didn't die until the flaming man fell to the ground.

Yuffie sank back at the huge wave of heat, relieved and drained, but realizing it hadn't finished yet. She still had to get out of here. She turned to the others, watching silently as they eyed their dead leader in shock, then turned to her, their faces malicious and cruel. 

__

'…Which may be easier said than done.'

"Get her!" one screamed as the room filled with the smell of smoke and disgustedly charred flesh. Yuffie could only watch as other items in the room slowly began to catch fire as well. She saw the blame in their eyes as their hard-earned fortunes went up in smoke.

It wasn't long after that when all hell broke loose.

She was only glad that she at least had a knife this time, though how well that would serve her under the current odds and circumstances was uncertain.

* * * * *

Reno stumbled to a stop outside the building, mentally calming himself as his breath burned in his throat, even as the cold night air continued to assert its presence. As he stopped, he stared down the men he had detected in the alleyway coldly in the eyes, and reached hastily into the pocket of his jacket even as the two others did the same.

"What do you want?" asked the larger of the two as he stepped forward from in front of the huge metal door. He was still in deep shadow, but the black steel of his large shotgun glinted darkly as the man slung it almost casually over his shoulder. The calm movement was a fake, though – even in the darkness, Reno could make out the rigid tenseness in his shoulders.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Reno grinned, marking the two men; the shorter of the two especially, who looked caught out, ready to bolt for some reason or another. It was obvious who was the more afraid. "I'll ask you to drop your weapon, if I may."

The men were baffled with his language.

"I'll ask you again. What the hell do you want!"

Reno squinted hard as the larger man took an immense step forward. As he moved from the building's shadows, pale moonlight filtered onto the hideously disfigured face, but it was more the build, the size, and the clothing that was now ringing a very distinct bell with Reno. Somehow this guy was familiar to him, which didn't make much sense at all. He had no prior knowledge of these men; indeed, he had yet to gain the file that had been missing. So why was he – _'Of course!'_

Reno bowed, smirking, never taking his eyes of the duo. "It's good to see you two again. I trust you had an enjoyable visit to my room? See anything you liked?"

"We don't know who you… " It took a few seconds for the testy, lanky man to connect with his words. In mere moments Reno watched the warring expressions tread all over the man's face, followed by the look of barely-concealed fright on the other's. 

The short, pudgy one stepped forward, his lips scantily forming an argument even as the other one growled, "You're that one that the boss sent us after!"

"You can't go in there, he'll – he, he'll realize-"

"I'm sorry, but we can't allow you to go in there."

Reno heard the distinct click of the large man's shotgun and acted quickly, darting out of the way and sliding into a cold brick wall even as a shot rang desperately throughout the night. He scowled as his still-tender shoulder protested the rough contact, and decided there was now no way he was giving that guy a second chance. He rashly clicked the safety off of his own weapon and readied the shot, smoothly aiming and pulling the trigger all in one swift motion. The man was down for the count without so much as another intake of breath.

"Are you going to question me, too, buddy?" Reno said, walking forward and stepping over the second dead body to litter the same alley in one night. Just as Reno reached out to grab the other man, however, he began to bolt. Instead of wasting precious energy on chasing him, the Turk instead carelessly aimed, and shot. 

He watched as the remaining man slid slowly down the grimy wall, shaking his head in panic, his hand gripping the back of his bloody leg tightly in a weakening effort to staunch the blood flow. After the initial clamor of the gunshot, there was a short scream of pain, followed by the sound of hollow, breathless gasping, which made Reno wince at the intrusion of the previously blissful silence. He gazed onward as the man struggled futily to escape, then gave up when the effort became too much.

For the second time, Reno made his way over to the man's side, and it wasn't until then that Reno noticed the two hefty bags by his side. The wounded man made no other attempts to escape.

"What are those?"

"They – they're… "

Waiting was not an option. "Is that the money that was paid as a ransom? Are you running off with some of the cut?"

The man nodded emphatically, stuttering either from the cold, the fear, or the pain, Reno couldn't tell.

"Why?" Short, protesting gasps of pain were his only reply. Reno scowled. "I won't warn you a second time, you know."

The pug man eyed the dead body at his feet, paling and gulping. After a moment, he seemed to recover himself, but only after Reno shoved the body aside and readied his gun again. The Turk held the weapon casually as he crouched, leaving it in plain sight so as to show the man the possible consequences of him retaining his imminent silence.

"I – we. You see-"

Reno's hand steadily raised the gun even as his gloved finger closed over the trigger. He lowered his voice. "I can't wait all day, you know."

"No! I'll talk! I'll… it's just… "

"It's just… what? Talk, or I'll finish what I started."

He didn't know whether it were the casual way in which he said it, or the dejected way the other broken body lay so forgotten on the dingy paving, but either way, it worked. The man sighed and slumped down even further, his breath ragged, his expression lost. His eyes were wide, and it was after a short moment, he answered, his voice low. "We… we never meant for it to go this far."

"Who didn't?"

A gesture to the discarded body on the ground said it all. "Me and him. We wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, we were leaving just now. We'd had enough. You see, Carlos signed us on to the job with good intentions. At first it were just a few random jobs… well, at first that's what we thought it was. We were good at that, you see, all of us. He collected us together with our, uh, talents in mind, and sent us out to do small jobs."

"_Small_ jobs?"

"At least… that's what we thought they were. Turned out everything had a purpose. The murders, the petty theft, it all amounted to something. I did mostly surveillance, my buddy here did the dirty work. I'm sure you know about everything, though… He played around with our weaknesses, our… our families, our lives… " The man's voice broke off as he drew in a sharp breath. His hands tightened on the wound. "We never knew it was going to come to this. Not to taking the leader, or his daughter!"

"Why were you both in my room? What were you after?"

"You."

Reno frowned. "I know that, but why did you ransack my room? You didn't take anything relevant."

"On the… contrary. By then the two of us had had enough. Despite how my friend looked, he wasn't the dumbest of thugs. We knew Carlos sent us after you, and when we couldn't find you… well, we decided… we decided we knew what the consequences were going to be if we didn't." The man shook his head, clenching his teeth. "Carlos's lost it. He doesn't care what happens to us anymore, as long as he gets revenge for what happened to his family… to him. We know that now… but we just, we… "

"So what did you take from my room?"

"Evidence."

"Of _what_?"

"Of your death."

Reno blinked. "My death?"

"We took some bloody shirts of yours, figured maybe if Carlos saw the supposed _evidence _that you were dead and out of the way-"

"So the note Staniv received… "

A nod. "Carlos believed us. We just wanted to get out of here without a trace, we didn't know that he had made a deal that if you were saved Godo would live. We found out later on... that Carlos'd… that he'd… It… Carlos wouldn't have known different. That's the only reason my friend took a shot at you. I'll bet he's sorry now, though, seeing that you're here to stop everything. Heh… he may have been smart, but he was brash."

Reno smirked. "So am I." He whipped the same handcuffs he'd used on Yuffie earlier out of his jacket pocket to fasten the man to an old fire-exit ladder beside him. As the metal closed around his wrists before he could so much as blink, the man blanched, and stuttered excuses left and right.

"Oh shut up already," Reno snapped. "You're lucky I let you live."

"I won't be soon if you don't get me some help. I'll bleed to death!"

Reno rolled his aqua eyes and shook his head. "Don't try that with me. That wound is superficial, buddy, which means you're staying right there." 

"B-but I gave you the information that-"

"Oh, Christ, do you know how many times I've heard that excuse? Big deal, so you stole some shredded shirts and robbed a few people. I'm a Turk, okay? That's the icing on the cake. I'm telling you, that wound you've got there is the best of the lot." He paused, contemplating the weapon still in his hand thoughtfully. "Unless, of course… you'd rather I finished the job?"

Reno watched with mild amusement as the man shuddered, shaking his head wildly. "No?"

"N-no."

"No, didn't think so." Reno picked up his bag which he'd dumped silently at the entrance to the 12th back-alley only minutes before, and made his way to the door. He pushed at the handle, more than a little confused as to why it wouldn't open. Then he eyed the handle, and blanched when his eye caught on the chunky lock. No curtain bracket was going to undo that.

He turned to the pale criminal, who was trying desperately to look unhurriedly the other way while struggling against his bonds. 

"All right. Where is it?"

"Where's what?"

Reno scowled. "The key."

"What key?"

He aimed his gun at the man. "You're pushing it, buddy."

"I-I… okay. It's in my friend's vest pocket. Th-the left one."

"Now we're talking." 

It wasn't much longer before Reno found himself through the door, and into the building, chucking the key back out the door before he went. "Don't wait up for me, honey," he called quietly out the door with a smirk as the other man looked helplessly on from his position on the cold, paved ground.

Reno laughed quietly to himself at how much the man reminded him of Palmer, but sobered instantly upon hearing a distinctly feminine voice. It was also then when he smelt the smoke. Instead of lingering on the past, he picked up his pace. If Carlos wasn't expecting anybody, then so be it…

* * * * *

A knife against eight men was little use, Yuffie soon decided. She had tried everything, but there was simply too many of them, and with her arm as useless as it now was, the odds were even worse. She had obstructed them every way she could, but her ploys were no longer working. Now, instead of one man at a time, there were three or four after her, the remaining two or three blocking her exit.

From somewhere one of them had procured another knife, and that one had taken the main front, attacking ruthlessly with the weapon. Fortunately – though she wasn't sure how much it was going to help her – this one was a great deal slower than Carlos, and it wasn't hard for her to leap over the occasional couch or table to dodge an attack. 

But still, she was fast tiring and in pain. She had been fighting prior to this, and the other men had come in fresh, and with the knowledge that they could win this if they so wanted. She simply couldn't keep running around forever.

As the armed man came around the couch for the thousandth time, Yuffie spun around his thrust and, in what she could guess what was no more than mere luck, drew blood with an offhanded swipe. The armed man cowered back, though this was of little consolation. It simply came down to the fact that another man picked up the knife and continued where he had left off. The other men pooled around the wounded man, neglecting her for just a second.

In the lapse that made up the exchange of the weapon, Yuffie took one look at the smoke barreling up the walls and across the roof, and decided if she was going to leave, then it would have to be now. The air was fast growing hot, and the smoke was making it hard to breathe. It wouldn't be long before the fumes began to smother them, and even less time in which they wouldn't be able to see anything at all.

Hurriedly, she spotted an opening at one of the doors and dodged one man's punch, ducked another, and made a valiant leap for the exit not three metres away. 

It turned out it was three metres too far.

As she was in mid stride and nearly free of the men who had moved to aid the wounded one, she felt something quite solid connect with her cheekbone. A sharp pain spread across her face and blurred her vision as a sick feeling pooled in the bottom of her gut. She hazily realized, in her hurry, that she'd failed to account for a man left at the door. She had been careless, and now she would never get out of here.

Unable to stand from the sudden force of the blow, Yuffie slipped to her knees, dropping the knife from numb fingers, and feeling the heat of the scorching fire burn at her back. When she managed to look up through tear-stricken eyes she saw her offender smirk, then say something to the others, and in seconds she was surrounded again. The next thing she noticed was the knife, held firmly once again in the injured man's grip.

"You're going to pay for that, girl."

Still reeling from the blow, she barely registered the fact that the knife was descending down upon her in a move that would certainly kill her. Her head pounded, her vision threatening to fade out on her altogether into a welcome darkness. Her heart didn't even have time to sink, and she was only able to close her eyes against the oncoming attack, failure ringing through her mind.

The blow never came.

Feeling the roar of the flames against her back and hearing nothing but a sudden silence, Yuffie warily opened one eye, greeted immediately with the chilly sight of the knife held inches from her throat. She shuffled backward, unnerved, and was met with not resistance. Immediate confusion struck her harder than any impact might have. She looked up into the eyes of the man who moments before would have killed her without thought; he stood stock still without so much as an expression on his face. He wasn't the only one.

Sensing no danger, Yuffie frowned and stood slowly, feeling her muscles protest at the minute movement. 

"How the… "

Yuffie waved an arm in front of the armed man's face, then pushed aside the knife. There was no reaction. Bemused, she gave the man a shove, and was met with no resistance. To her shock, even the slightest push sent the man sprawling bonelessly backward into the others. Like domino they collapsed to the ground, knocking one another over until there were none left standing. 

Except one.

"Well that was mean."

She jumped at the voice, ready to fight anyone else who would prevent her from leaving the building. She turned to the source of the sound, and instantly did a double take.

"R-reno?" she stuttered, sure she was seeing things.

"What's the matter, Yuff," the Turk said, leaning casually against the doorframe, despite the circumstances looking quite relaxed, "not happy to see me?"

**__**

tbc…

* * * * *

__

Another chapter finished, but it ain't over yet…

Be sure to tell me what you think! I'm not all that good at writing action scenes, in case you can't tell! Hope you all liked this chapter. The next one will be out soon.


	17. Inferno

**

Word of Mouth,

  


By Ealinesse

**

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are Carlos and his cronies… Ugh, lucky me.

**

Summary:

** Three years after the fall of Sephiroth, Yuffie receives a cryptic letter from home that tells her all is not well in Wutai... But what does a certain Turk have to do with anything?

**

Warnings:

** Angst, Drama. Not a whole lot of happiness in this chapter, really.

**

Category:

** Action/Adventure.

* * *

* * *

**

Chapter Seventeen: Inferno...

**

* * *

* * *

So I walk up on high  
And I step to the edge  
To see my world below.  
And I laugh at myself  
As the tears roll down.  
'Cause it's the world I know.  
It's the world I know. __

~Collective Soul, The World I Know.

"R-reno?" Yuffie stuttered, recoiling at the face she had thought long gone.

"What's the matter, Yuff," the Turk said, leaning casually against the doorframe, despite the circumstances looking quite relaxed, "not happy to see me?" He didn't even have to ask about Carlos; from the look in her eyes he could see that she'd sought out her revenge. He hid his satisfaction at that, and instead leveled with a wry gaze, amused with her surprise. So this hadn't been in vain.

"B-but you're - Carlos said you were dead!"

The Turk raised a mild eyebrow at the conviction in her voice. "I'm not that easy to kill, you know."

"But how can you even be here? If Carlos said you were dead, then…"

"It had nothing to do with Carlos, it were the others."

"But why are you even here-"

Reno offered a tired sigh and gestured at the surroundings, unwilling to explain the answer to the question he knew was coming. "You're sure you don't want to discuss this somewhere else? Some place that isn't about ready to become a giant fireball?"

At that, Yuffie accepted the reality of the situation. She nodded, about to snap something smart at the sarcastic comment, but just as she opened her mouth a loud explosion of heat and sound rocked the building. As the boisterous crackling filled the air, she stumbled at the force, pinwheeling her arms well enough to stay standing. Reno, who was previously the very incarnation of calm, slipped off from against the doorframe and tripped over a fallen body, and wasn't quite so lucky.

When the low rumbling had subsided, Yuffie pried open eyes she hadn't realized she'd closed. She was meet with an eerie glow, completely different to that of before, where the room was quite dark except for the ghostly glow of the fire. She turned to Reno, who was now the one on his knees.

"What the hell was that?"

Reno looked up, rubbing at his lower back as he stood, his eyes looking a strange violet in the light. "The electricity, I think. I'm pretty sure the mains just went up."

"We should really get out of here."

"Like I said." Reno smirked. They turned to the door, more than ready to leave, but stopped dead when they saw the state it was in. 

"Well I guess I'm lucky I moved, huh?" the Turk snorted. Beyond that, though, Yuffie could see his calm exterior cracking. She eyed the door with barely concealed panic. Their only exit was now blocked, a flaming pile of charred debris. Their situation had quickly gone from bad to worse, and they'd just leapt from the frying pan into the fire. Literally. The rugs that had lined the floor and the wall had caught fire quickly off one another, and had reached the door, engulfing it and its surrounds in a wall of flame. They now had no way out.

"Just how the hell are we going to get out of here now?" Yuffie groaned.

She got not reply, and turned to Reno, only to see him rummaging hastily through his pack, cursing every now and then as he pulled out the occasional object that was obviously not what he was looking for. She could only stare as he tossed away one useless item after the other.

"Got anything else handy in there?" she asked, inching steadily closer to Reno to avoid the growing flames. Sweat trickled down her forehead in a steady stream, and she was sure in that last explosion she had been singed in at least a dozen places.

"I'm working on it."

Yuffie winced as another small explosion rocked the building. She staggered backward, clenching her teeth as her injured arm jarred from the sudden movement. "Well work harder! We need water or something, we're surrounded in flames!"

"I said I'm on it!"

Yuffie ran a shaking hand through her hair, only now seeming to register once again the pain in her arm. She gripped it tightly, holding it against her side in order to staunch the steady flow of blood. From her left came a relieved sigh, and almost instantaneously she felt a gentle tingling spread across her body that always accompanied the feel of materia, followed by a pale yellow light that quickly settled into her skin.

"There!"

Yuffie blinked. The flames still remained, and the room had only gotten hotter. Nothing had changed. "What do you mean 'there'! Nothing's happened."

"You know, for a self-proclaimed expert on materia, you sure know nothing. Watch." And before she could utter so must as a half-hearted protest of shock and fear, she watched as Reno walked up to the flames… and then straight through them. Expecting the Turk to be engulfed in a ring of fire, she could only gape lamely as he shrugged, and then stepped calmly out.

"What the hell was that!"

"It's a Protect Materia, Mastered care of fighting you guys."

Yuffie eyed the wall of flames, only now noticing that the room no longer seemed to be so hot. How was it true that she could breathe easier, as well? Was it part of the spell's function? Skeptically, she looked Reno hard in the eye. "How long does it last?"

"A good while. Long enough for us to get out of here, which I'd suggest we do right now."

She finally gained enough gall to react. "So that's why Cloud couldn't hack you up so easily in the end."

Reno ignored her, instead he grabbed onto her arm and without warning pulled her into the direct path of the flame. She unconsciously closed her eyes as they stepped into the fire. Expecting to burn up into a thousand small pieces, Yuffie was surprised to find herself only enclosed in what was but a lukewarm blanket of tingling comfort, and after a while, even that was gone. All that remained was the faint sound of the flames licking at the walls and the furnishings. Her arm seemed to sting a little more, but other than the initial pain of the injury, there was nothing.

When she opened her eyes everything was tinged a faint orange, and Reno was looking at her with an expression she couldn't name. She looked at him through the haze, and tipped her head questioningly to the side. "What?"

"What's wrong with your arm?"

She shrugged. "Carlos got lucky. It just needs to stop bleeding. I'll be fine."

"Sure." At this Reno seemed to pause and assess the injury for a moment. He then shrugged off his jacket and chucked it carelessly to the ground. She could only stare as, once the item was out of Reno's hand, it began to catch fire, curling in on itself until it burned into nothing. She paled at the sight, and looked back up, seeing Reno beginning to tear at his sleeve.

Yuffie took a step back. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" the Turk said as he finally succeeded in removing the sleeve. He took her arm and wrapped the long stretch of material around the wound, tying it off when it got too short. When he'd finished, he appraised his work and took a step back.

"Much better."

Yuffie couldn't help but become puzzled at this. "Why did you do that?" she asked softly, realizing Reno held no obligation to her. This was a man who had killed thousands – he held no reputation for saving lives, and yet here he was, in here because of her.

After a moment, Reno shrugged. He grinned. "We couldn't have the ruler of Wutai dying from blood loss now, could we?"

"I – thanks." She ducked her head and began to walk away, embarrassed at the very word, glad that the heat of the fire hid her blush.

There was a sudden laugh. "Hey, Yuff?"

She turned to face the suddenly amused Turk, not sure what was so funny. "Yeah?"

"The exit's this way."

She headed in the right direction, her cheeks burning fiercer than any flame in the room. She ignored the quirk to the corners of Reno's mouth, and instead concentrated fiercely on her wounded arm. "I knew that."

* * * * *

"Fuck!" Reno tried the handle again, though to no avail. It didn't move, and he let go before it got too hot in his grip – in no time the fire had reached the exit. "Fuck!" he repeated. This wasn't in the master plan. He'd left the door unlocked… hadn't he? He turned to Yuffie, who had by the looks of things already gathered just what was going on. 

There was defeat in her voice. "We're locked in, aren't we."

Reno nodded, not sure of what to say. He cursed again, his temper rising as he remembered that weasel he'd locked up outside, earlier. Could he have gotten away? Surely not. "I'm sure I left it unlocked! There's no fucking _way_ it could be locked at all!"

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"_Absolutely_, one hundred percent positive?"

The Turk leveled her with a blunt stare.

Yuffie flinched, biting her lip. The room was slowly getting hotter, and she didn't want to ask Reno what that could possibly mean. She thought hard. "Are there any other exits? Windows?"

"I'm not sure."

"So we're stuck here?"

"Yep."

How could he sound so calm about it? Just a minute ago he'd been cursing his lungs out. Yuffie eyed him through the haze of steaming orange, occasionally blowing the hot air out of her lungs, only to have it replaced seconds later. She looked up worriedly to where the smoke still hung a fair distance above their heads due to the height of the ceiling. But with no outside ventilation, that would soon change; it was steadily progressing toward them. She savoured what little air she could, feeling it burn its way down her throat, but at least it was reasonably pure. 

After a moment of silence where Reno did nothing but wipe the sweat off his forehead, Yuffie decided to ask the undermining question.

"The spell is wearing off, isn't it?"

Reno found no sense in denying it. He ran his hand over his forehead again, and shunted a couple of steps toward the door again, before eyeing the smoke pooling around the wooden rafters above. "Yes. The materia still has some energy left. Don't worry, I'll cast another one before it fails."

Yuffie ignored the strangely positive way in which Reno was talking. She focussed her eyes on the ground, mesmerized by the odd way the flames danced around her feet and legs. "And there's no other exits."

Reno hated the tone Yuffie was taking. She was giving up, and he didn't like it. He'd cheated death in worse circumstances than this, and survived to tell the tale. He was sure as hell going to do so again… He just had to find out how. He just had to accommodate for the fact that the devil was going to be a bitch…

"Come on, Yuff, we're getting the hell out of here."

She looked up at him, her face pinched with doubt. "How-"

"We're going to find another way." But could they really risk going back into the fire? With a final kick at the door, Reno turned to leave, but a sudden shuddering gave him cause to pause. As the rumbling increased, Reno knew he'd started something he couldn't possibly control. He looked around frantically, out of the corner of his eye seeing Yuffie do the same, and over the roar of the flames tried to see what was going on.

He didn't spot it until whatever it was descended from the smoke, and even then it was too late. With not a single spare moment to cast another spell on them both, he could do nothing but push Yuffie and himself out of the direct path of the falling, flaming beams before they tumbled to the floor with a frightfully solid impact, and mercilessly, everything went black.

* * * * *

Shake was the first one to notice it, but that no longer mattered. It wasn't as if spotting the brilliant orange toiling and coiling in the night air with great boons of festering smoke was hard to spot. How had he not noticed it earlier? His face paled and he stopped in his tracks, grabbing onto Staniv's sleeve before he could reach the Pagoda's entranceway and disappear inside.

"Staniv… I think we just found… what we were looking… for…" Shake's voice trailed off. It couldn't have been more than four blocks away, but the amount of smoke curdling upwards was alarming.

The older aide spun to face where Shake was pointing, and he stopped dead as soon as he saw what his peer was insinuating.

"If that's Reno's idea of improvising, then I'm going to have words with him about all this afterward."

He chose not to express the fact that him ever meeting Reno again was but a mere possibility as he began running toward the Police Station, Shake in tow. His worry prevented his anger, and held back his pain.

* * * * *

Reno groaned as everything went silent, feeling the rumble of the impact gradually subside. For a moment he could hear nothing but his own incessant gasping as his lungs struggled to filter the air from the now swirling smoke. He opened his eyes, only to find that there was nothing to see, and so he squeezed them closed again, feeling the acrid smoke bite fiercely at his eyes. Without thinking he pressed his arms under him, ready to push off from the ground, but got only halfway there before a solid weight registered across his back, and he fell back to the ground as the density of it became too much. When he had mustered as much energy as he could, he tried again and locked his arms under him, feeling splinters of broken wood and god only knew what else dig painfully into his hands. Eventually he felt the item roll off and onto the ground with a solid thunk, and he could breathe easier again..

Free from whatever it was that had landed on him, Reno took a moment to clear his throbbing head. Unconsciously he opened his eyes again, dimly aware of the fact that only about three feet from the ground was yet uncovered by smoke. His eyes, exposed only moments before to the bright hue of the flame struggled to adjust to the immense darkness. After a couple of seconds things began to clear, and he didn't know if it was because he found himself able to focus more as time grew on, or whether the smoke was slowly dissipating somehow. 

He took a long look around, seeing the scattered remains of the beam that had fallen, smouldering on the ground. The fire in their immediate area had been extinguished by the falling beams, and, he noted gratefully that his bag was still hanging in one piece from his shoulder.

He had no idea why it took him so long to register the searing heat as he looked at the dying flames in the small entrance. Perhaps it were because he was so disoriented, but either way he realized that the spell had worn off. Dizzily, he got to his feet, feeling himself sway as he struggled to regain his balance. As he rose the density of the smoke thickened, and he pulled his shirt collar over his mouth to try and get some air into his lungs.

After standing stock still for a moment to try to stop his shaking, he took a slow step forward, only to have his foot impact on something soft, not at all like the beams he had seen moments before. It took him only another couple of seconds to realize that he hadn't been in this building alone.

"Shit… Yuff!"

Reno dropped to his knees and ignored the stinging of the smoke in his eyes as he frantically tried to find what he'd run into but a second ago. 

It didn't take him long to find her.

Reno turned the limp figure over on the ground, and felt frantically for a pulse, feeling a strange sense of relief wash over him as he found one soon enough. He let out a soft sigh that quickly melted into that of a hacking cough, and continued checking the ninja over. Even in the dim lighting, he could see the blood already soaking through the makeshift bandage, and the small bump beginning to form on her temple, but he could find nothing else wrong.

"… Brat?" Reno said, checking her pulse again, feeling it strong against his fingertips. He ran a hand over his face, feeling chalky, thick layers of soot smear over his face. He no longer cared. He turned back to Yuffie, sure that he had felt something move under his hand.

"Yuff?" This time he was rewarded with a soft moan. "Brat?" he tried again, tapping her face gently.

"Th-that was a h-hell'va kick, T-turkey."

Reno couldn't hold back a grin as her eyes opened. Glazed, but definitely with him, he could see her figuring out the situation even as he watched. He offered her a hand, and she sat up slowly, gingerly pressing her free hand to her head. "What the hell hit me?"

He chuckled. "The roof?" He pointed up, but immediately realized even through the vapour that her eyes weren't on him. He was about to ask her if she was all right, when her lifted her arm and pointed shakily.

"Reno… look."

He turned slowly, his Mako eyes following her gestures, and was met with the sight of something for which he was eternally grateful: the alley up close and personal. That would explain why he could see more.

"Well I'll be damned," he muttered softly as his eyes moved over the scene. He stared at the cold, dirty pavement, the rubbish, and the ash-strewn surroundings from under the burdenous smoke. He had never been so happy to see slums in his life. Not that he'd admit that. He turned back to Yuffie, who was looking more aware by the second.

"Help me up so we can get the hell out of here."

It took little argument on his part for that to happen, and leaning heavily on each other they made their way outside, feeling the cold air whip at them, the occasional whiff of smoke wafting in their direction. For once, Reno didn't mind the temperature, and gradually the image of a soft bed floated into his mind, and he nodded his head slowly, a small smirk settling across his face as he imagined Rude's face when he saw the mess he'd made.

As a sudden though occurred to him, Reno looked through the darkness to the spot he'd handcuffed the man, but found nothing. "Shit," he cursed, realizing that his earlier suspicions were correct. It didn't matter, though, the main target was down for the count - he knew that without asking.

"I'm going to sleep for a month," Yuffie muttered from beside him, her voice slurred and muffled.

He had no arguments against that at all…

That was, until he heard the voice from behind him. Reno stopped dead, and Yuffie nearly tripped over his feet as he spun back to face the building. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Yuffie said, pushing off Reno and stumbling wearily over to a wall. Her adrenaline gone, her face was drawn and her eyes dull under the smoky residue.

"I – nothing." Reno shook his head, unsure until he heard it again. "You honestly can't hear it?"

"… Hear… what?"

It was obvious the ninja was nearly asleep. Reno watched her slide down the wall and lean tiredly against the ancient, grimy bricking. He turned back to the flaming building, watching as great pillars of smoke and fire spun tendrils of heat and pollution into the air. He followed it up, but his eyes were dragged down again by the voice.

"… Nothing." But Reno wasn't so sure. The sound was distinct – like a human voice yelling from over the roar of the flames beyond. How could someone still be alive in there?

As Reno continued to press on with his internal struggle, Yuffie looked up from under half-lidded eyes, puzzled. From under all the soot and through the strange darkness she could see his narrowed, glowing azure eyes looking curiously in the direction of the fire. There was something off in his expression that she couldn't place. She frowned, shaking herself into full wakefulness as she felt her eyelids slipping closed again. "Turkey? You all right?"

He turned to face her more directly, his gaze flickering almost imperceptibly back to the flames. "I'm fine."

"Then what's the matter?"

He looked to the ground, a deep frown creasing his brow. Could he leave someone to die in there - even an enemy? Would it help to have an enemy in custody in the case of a trial? Even without thinking Reno knew the answer. He turned to Yuffie while searching through his bag, seeing her glazed hazel eyes looking up at him with more than a little curiosity. After retrieving the small orb he needed, he crouched in front of Yuffie and placed his bag down beside her. 

"I'll be right back." He watched as she blinked in confusion, then looked to the glowing orb in his hand. Comprehension was quick to dawn on her face, and she looked from one item to the other simultaneously before shaking her head slowly.

"No way."

"Yes way."

He could only stare as she got to her feet, swaying ever so gently, her eyes wide and a deep ebony in the darkness. "Are you crazy! What the hell do you need to go back in there for!"

"… I forgot something I needed to get."

"In a burning building." Yuffie paused, shaking her head. "Nuh-uh. You're crazy. No way."

Reno scowled, and preceded to cast the spell over himself. He began to walk away. "I didn't ask for your permission or your opinions. Just look after my stuff."

She was silent for a second. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you going back in there?"

He turned to face her. "It'll make things a lot easier in the long run, I just told you. Look, I'll be out in no time. Sit down, someone's bound to come along soon after they see all the smoke pouring out the roof, and they're more likely to let you away with it, rather than me."

"But… "

"Just stay there."

She opened her mouth to protest, but was faced instead with empty air. She sank down the wall to the alleyway, her face blank. Why could he possibly want to go back in there for? She shrugged without really knowing why, in the distance hearing the faint whir of sirens as she realized that a Turk was a Turk. No one could figure them out. Especially Reno.

Dully, she was aware of her arm throbbing in time with her temples as the last of the adrenaline in her system faded. She hugged her injured arm to her chest and rested her chin on it, shivering. And then it began to hit her. She'd defeated Carlos, but did that make things any better? It hadn't changed the eventual outcome of her father's death, and although she felt better knowing that there was now closure, she knew things could have been done differently.

Yuffie closed her eyes, not sure whether it was her bone-weariness or her grief for her father allowing her the reprieve of having a lone tear trail its way down her cheek.

She only wished she could have at least said goodbye…

* * * * *

Reno couldn't say what made him go back into the building, just that something had. Something in that voice had nagged at him and latched onto something inside him so fiercely that it wouldn't let go until he threw away his meagre safety and pursued it. Call it curiosity, call it blind faith - it didn't matter. It was what it was. 

__

'… Whatever the hell that is.'

Reno bit back a cough and followed blindly along the walls. Somehow he'd managed to find his way through the main parts of the building, stumbling occasionally on unseen objects, but maintaining his direction throughout it all. He'd learnt long before that he couldn't rely on his sight. Ocassionally, when he moved far enough away from the flame there would be a patch of visibility, then seconds later all would be gone, and that was as far as that sense went. Either way though, progress was painfully slow – slow enough that he'd been in there for what seemed like too long. 

For a moment Reno stopped and listened, and heard nothing. The voice, since he'd been in here, had made very little of its presence known, and it was beginning to annoy him. He was in the main room now – the centre of the inferno – and he seriously doubted that someone could still be alive in here anyway, but yet, there was a feeling in his gut that told him otherwise.

Either way he decided that whoever it was he was after had better be someone damned worthwhile, otherwise he was turning right around and leaving…

Which sounded damned good…

Just as soon as he figured out where the exit was again.

A sudden wave of heat assaulted him, and then something light landed on his shoulder. He caught a glimpse of a red-hot ember falling from the flaming roof, and flicked it off his shoulder before it could do any damage. He swore as he realized just how hot the room was becoming, and that there could only be one thing that that meant. The flow of sweat trickling down his forehead that had stopped only minutes before began again.

The spell was weakening under the pressure.

Reno spun, trying to remember where the entrance was now that he'd been distracted. Sucking in mouthfuls of the potent fumes unintentionally as his lungs struggled for air, he could only gasp futily as the torrential heat forced its way down his throat and into his lungs. He had no time, and he doubted the person was still in one piece anyway. He hadn't heard anything in quite a while; it had been nothing but a waste of his time. At least he could leave with the satisfaction that he'd tried.

He had to move, and move fast.

And then, as if in answer to his thoughts, the voice which he hadn't heard in a long time let go another yell. A very distinctive, imperative yell. But this time, it came from behind him. Reno frowned, then scowled as he wondered just how the hell that was so. He knew exactly where he was… didn't he? Taking a step forward in the direction of the noise, Reno forgot to account for whatever it was on the floor in front of him. As he lifted his booted foot it connected very solidly and unexpectedly with something, and he stumbled, his arms flying forward to catch himself as he tumbled to the floor.

Because the spell was still reasonably in place, his hands didn't burn, but the heat became uncomfortable against his palms even as he sucked in a large mouthful of what he hoped to be air. It was a mistake. With the spell nearly out, heavy, hacking coughs caused him to shudder and collapse back down to the ground for a second, and as he continued to gag on the polluted gas, his breath grew even shorter. Even though he was effectively blind, he was fast becoming dizzy, and he hadn't accounted for all of the smoke weakening the spell so soon.

Yet somehow he managed to push himself to his feet. And somehow he managed to gain enough breath to continue on. Barely.

"Shi-it," he gasped as he put his collar over his mouth again, and stepped over the figure of what he now knew to be the charred remain of a body. For a second Reno imagined it was the voice that had been nagging at him all along, but then he heard it again, and all doubts as to the man's status were vanquished. He headed in the direction of the sound, saving his voice as well as his lungs. He stopped at the spot where he'd last heard the voice, and when it sounded again he did a double take. That couldn't be right. 

When he heard it a second time he knew that whatever sanity he had previously had, had just flown out the window.

__

'There's no fucking way it can be coming from the floor.'

But nothing could make him deny the fact that it was. Reno crouched to the ground, hammering on the floor so he didn't have to open his mouth to the growing heat. At his prompting the voice yelled back loud and clear, with a barrage of words that he didn't bother to even try to understand. As far as he was concerned, this was fast becoming ridiculous. He knew that voice, there was no doubt about it, but if so then...

"Who-" Reno's voice broke off as he failed to compensate again for the smoke in the room. The sweat streamed down his forehead and tears of pain and discomfort beaded in the corners of his eyes as he struggled to gain his breath. He finally managed to yell the question, and not wanting to have to speak any more, he placed his ear close to the floor. He paled at the answer. 

But it couldn't be… could it?

There was no doubt that the identity of this man changed a lot.

Reno began moving his hands around the floor as he realized he had very little time in here to get this man out, not to mention himself. If he heard correct, then there was a lot depending on his ability to feel his way around in the dark. There had to be a latch somewhere! They couldn't seal this room without one, right?

As he was searching a sound above him made him stop. He dared not look up, but when the familiar groaning only grew louder Reno turned his head to the sky in dread even as his hands continued their frantic search. This time, he knew, the situation was a whole lot worse.

"Come on, come on… Shit, shit, shit!" Reno ground out as he felt his blood rush through his veins as he kept his eyes above him, even though he could see very little through the obtuse smoke. But even blind to his surroundings as he currently was he knew exactly what was going to happen next.

"Not again," he groaned as his heart pounded frenetically and he spared himself but a split second to look down. For a moment the haze cleared and he spotted an object just before the vapor closed in again. With no time to spare and little time to think about a solution Reno dived for the latch even as the remains of the smoldering roof began to collapse inward. His sweaty, shaking hands grasped at the protruding metal clip and fumbled with the item desperately before he suddenly felt himself plunging downward into the inky blackness below, only to wonder if and when he was going to hit the ground.

* * * * *

She had no idea how long she'd been sitting there, but she heard them now: the voices that Reno had been talking about, distorted horribly by the roaring fire, though still there. There was very little she could do about it. It had been gone quite for a while now, but that didn't matter. She hoped whatever thug it was died a slow, painful death. Her father had paid the ultimate price to sate their greed, so why should they survive?

So now she sat, hopeless and cold, slumped against the chilly brick wall in the moonlight, lacking the energy and motivation to even move if she wanted to. Her mind felt numb, though it pounded with a bitter intensity. It had begun to drizzle a while ago, though it was hopeless against the raging fire, which had now overtaken most of the building not fifteen metres away from her at the other end of the alley. She was soaked through and through, and clothes she hadn't even realized were slightly burnt steamed as they began to cool off. Her hair was plastered to her forehead from both sweat and rain, her eyelashes dripping with the cool liquid.

She scowled. An insignificant drowned rat lost in an alleyway how had failed her own father. How appropriate.

Yuffie let out a sigh and tried futily to hold back a shiver. Vapor wafted from between her lips as she gazed with dull eyes toward the inferno. It was mesmerizing, really, the beauty of the flames as they danced their way into the night sky. After a while she looked away, her eyes eventually unable to take the intensity of the blaze. 

She tried to focus as she shifted her eyes to the passageway to her left, but white and orange dots danced in front of her eyes even as the dim lighting of the alley came back to her. She turned her gaze skyward. The moon was opaque and filmy compared to the buoyancy of the beacon of impromptu light. After a moment, when her sight still hadn't recovered fully, she closed her eyes and rested her mind for what seemed only a second.

Perhaps that was why she didn't notice the two men who stood in front of her.

"Miss Yuffie?"

She jumped, wincing as her injured arm shot to the ground to project her to her feet. The appendage in question gave out before she got the chance. Yuffie looked up, her hazel eyes wide. Unable to read Staniv's expression in the darkness, she simply stared. She found no words, and could only berate herself silently as the expression on her aide's face became one of concern.

She was wrong.

"First of all, don't you ever do anything like that to scare us like that again! You could have told us what you'd planned so we could at least have planned something! Or stopped you!" Staniv placed a hand on his hip, trying to keep his frown of discontent on his face. He wasn't sure if he pulled it off; the relief of seeing his charge alive was just too strong. 

Yuffie winced belatedly. About to protest, she was again cut off, and she could do nothing but blink. She wasn't four years old anymore.

"Second. How could you have known that this would turn out all right in the end? Don't even think of facing someone like Carlos by yourself…"

"-Staniv-" She somehow managed to push herself up against the wall, her head bowed to hide the effort. She'd had about enough.

"… Not without us, anyway."

Yuffie looked up in stunned silence as Staniv's expression gave out. She saw the relief in his eyes, and felt her eyes begin to fill with fresh tears as the weight of the past few days finally closed in on her. Suddenly she felt herself swept into a hug by two of her most trusted aides, and though she felt at last that she was safe, it was all she could do not to gasp in pain as her injured arm was jostled. Her head chose that exact moment to continue throbbing.

Staniv stepped immediately away, his grey eyes scanning her for injuries even as she struggled to stay standing, her energy gone.

"You're hurt."

Yuffie winced. "It's just a scratch."

"I'll be the judge of that." She didn't even bother to protest as Staniv gently took hold of her arm, unwrapping the makeshift bandage and examining the wound as best he could in the dim light. After he was done he re-wrapped the cloth around the wound, hiding his puzzlement at the foreign material around Yuffie's arm. He pushed away the thought, his eyes still relieved, but his expression serious. He offered a wry smile. "Just a scratch indeed. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Just took a hit to the head. I'm fine, Staniv. Just really tired."

"You are not, and don't even try to pretend. You've been through a lot tonight. How do you feel? Is your vision blurry? Are you dizzy?"

She sighed, not seeing the point in lying. "Yes and not right now, no."

"But you have been. All right. How many fingers am I holding up?"

She met his eyes again, then looked to his hand. She scowled and struggled to concentrate, only now noticing how badly her vision was fading. "It would help if you would hold your hand still, Staniv. You're cheating."

At this her aide's forehead creased a little into a minute frown, but he said nothing. It was then that Shake spoke up, voicing the one question Staniv had neglected to ask.

"Carlos?"

"Dead."

Staniv frowned. "Yuffie, how did you get out of there?"

She looked up, then back to the building, her faze oddly blank. "Reno."

"The Turk got you out?"

"Uh-huh."

At this Shake scowled as another thought occurred to him. "Where is he now? He didn't just leave you here, did he! If he did I'll-"

Yuffie flinched, and Staniv, seeing the look on her face put a hand on Shake's shoulder to halt his words.

"What is it?" At her silence, Staniv's perpetual frown deepened. He turned to the building, puzzlement on his face. Eventually her turned his gaze to her, watching the way her eyes stayed fixed on the one spot. "He's still in there, isn't he?"

All she could manage was a nod. She shivered, not even trying to hold it back this time. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She blinked slowly and shook her head to clear the built up haze, but it only made her head pound worse. She reached out to place her hand on Staniv's shoulder, but missed by what looked like miles. As her knees buckled, her eyes closed. Through a tunnel of fog someone called her name. She tried to answer, but eventually even her hearing failed too. Everything seemed to be fading into oblivion so fast it was scary…

Staniv caught Yuffie as she began to pitch forward. With a quick glance to Shake he held her up just long enough to allow the shorter aide to place his thick, woolen cloak on the grimy ground. As he placed her down on the draped item he crouched next to her, placing a hand on her forehead. It was cold, but not frighteningly so. Then again it was hard to tell with her face thick with sweat.

Shake spoke up beside him, his face worried. "Is she concussed?" 

"That may be the case."

"Then we need to wake her up."

As Shake began to tap her lightly on the cheek, Staniv took surveyed his surroundings, noting the one object that seemed to be out of place. 

The older aide got lightly to his feet and retrieved the tan leather bag that was slumped against the wall. He held it up to the light, only vaguely seeing the outline of the letter 'R' before he lowered it down. "Reno," he whispered, shaking his head. Without further thought, he pried open the pack, searching through it for anything that could usefully awaken his charge. As his hands closed around a lucid, glowing green orb, a soft smile curved the corners of his mouth.

He carried the bag back to Shake and kneeled next to the pale figure on the ground. Placing the emerald sphere in both hands he summoned the spell and cast it down on Yuffie, opening his eyes just as the pale lime light filtered around her before soaking into her skin.

Shake looked up. "A Cure Materia can't heal a concussion."

Staniv shook his head. "No, but it can heal physical wounds. Her arm will be fine now, if not a little tender when she wakes up."

As if in lieu with his thoughts, a low moan filtrated through the air. Breaking his contact with the younger man, Staniv again placed his hand on Yuffie's forehead. He smiled as her eyes opened, and she tried to sit up. He place a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Enough. Stay down, don't sit up if you don't have to."

The young ninja bit her lip, and nodded. As her eyes again began to drift close Shake frowned. "You can't go to sleep yet, Yuffie. I'm sorry. But if you've got a concussion then you're going to have to stay awake."

Yuffie was about to open her mouth to say something, when a bustle of activity at the exit of the alley caught her attention. From the ground, she could see little, but she watched as Staniv got slowly to his feet.

"It's about time you all got here," Shake called from the ground. "Half the town could be burnt down and you'd still be trying to figure out how to fasten your overalls!"

"Shake," Staniv warned as he stepped aside to allow the various teams of emergency services to begin their work. As he watched, long hoses filtered in through the alleys even as the men in red and orange began their work in the depth of the alley where a large fire truck could not reach. With them came the paramedics, carrying cases and stretchers between them, and soon the small alleyway was packed with people. Staniv found himself hovering as Yuffie was helped to her feet. 

"Watch her head," he heard Shake snap as two paramedics began to lower her onto a stretcher.

At this Yuffie allowed herself a small smile, but it faded fast. Her father…

Time passed, and though she was no longer sure how long, she knew that the firefighters were making progress. The drizzle was now a fine rain, and it no longer evaporated before it reached the flame. It was slowly helping. She sat with her back against a board laden with pillows, finding it much easier to remain awake in an upright position rather than a laid-back one. She plumped up a pillow, watching the entrance intensely. Beside her was Shake, and not far away was Staniv, talking to the various authorities in the area. 

As she felt her eyes start to close in exhaustion, Yuffie pinched her arm, feeling herself jolt awake instantly, her eyes widening even as she held back a wince. Turning to the flames she'd been watching for god only knew how long, she turned her thoughts to Reno.

There was no way in hell he could still be alive in there. No way. The spell he had cast on the both of them had not lasted this long last time, and though she knew there were various levels to a Protect spell, she also knew that none of them were strong enough to withstand such heat and smoke forever. So where did she stand in this? Why had she just stood there when he'd said he was going back in?

How did she feel?

To be perfectly honest with herself, she wasn't sure. When Reno had turned up in there she'd felt her heart almost stop. Never had she expected to be saved by anyone, least of all a Turk with whom she'd been enemies with not three years before. She was no longer sure how much had changed, but the unspoken truce that had evolved between them was nagging at the back of her mind.

That didn't matter now, though. It all came down to one thing. If she hadn't gone in there, then he wouldn't have gone to save her. And then he wouldn't be in there now. And then she wouldn't be sitting here, numb, reflecting over the fate of someone she should never had had to meet again in her life.

__

'Why did he follow?'

At that moment something interrupted her thoughts, and Yuffie could only watch as the various firefighters leapt back just in time to avoid a large segment of the main entrance as it collapsed in a heap of charred wood and metal. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open in horror as, seconds later, without the support of an entire wall to go by, the entire roof caved in on itself. All was eerily silent. With the roof down and the building open, a great portion of the fire had been extinguished simply because of the pressure of the roof. After a second the firemen pooled back to the area, sure that nothing else could possibly fall - at least for the moment.

As she watched the last of it collapse, a feeling of dread grasped her so strongly that for a moment what had happened seemed as it would in a dream. Her breath caught in her throat, and just as time had stopped only seconds before, it resumed as if nothing had happened.

Except to her.

"Oh no," she whispered, her bottom lip trembling as she realized no one could have survived that, even had they been alive in the first place. There had always been that infinitesimal amount of hope that he'd come out, and she'd be able to blame him for taking so long, and for wasting her time - and his - on a wild goose chase.

But now that was never going to happen, and she had caused another death. Because of her own stupidity and ignorance she'd lost her father, and now Reno someone who shouldn't have been involved in this in the first place.

"Oh gods, Reno. I… "

****

tbc

* * * * *

__

Author's Notes: Okay, don't shoot me, strangle me, or otherwise. There's not long to go now. I'm serious. Everything is *nearly* over. Please don't shoot me for the cliffhanger, because otherwise there was no other place to end the chapter… and this one was long enough. I hope you all enjoyed it, though you'll have to wait until my next post to see what happens next, I guess. 

Cheers,

~Ealinesse.


	18. The Morning After Epilogue

**

Word of Mouth,

**

  


By Ealinesse

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are Carlos and his cronies… Ugh, lucky me.

**

Summary:

** Three years after the fall of Sephiroth, Yuffie receives a cryptic letter from home that tells her all is not well in Wutai... But what does a certain Turk have to do with anything?

**

Warnings:

** Angst, Drama. Not a whole lot of happiness in this chapter, really.

**

Category:

** Action/Adventure.

* * *

* * *

**

Chapter Eighteen: The Morning After... 

**

* * *

Everything was ringing so loudly it hurt. He thought he'd probably burst his eardrums, but considering the fact that even the silence was painfully loud, he doubted that. Reno opened his eyes – or thought he did, considering all was dark anyway - and attempted to sit up. Apparently, that was a mistake.

"Oh, shit," he groaned as every muscle began to protest in pain. He fell back and clutched at his knee, which was yelling at him the loudest, and rolled onto his side, wondering how he hadn't noticed that earlier. His own voice sounded choked and gravely to his own ears, but at least he was alive, if not a little dented.

"You can say that again."

Reno frowned and finally managed to sit up, albeit on shaky arms. He belatedly realised he could breathe now without choking on a mouthful of smoke. For a second he thought he'd heard the voice merely as some kind of hallucination, but when it spoke again he knew that wasn't the case. He looked around blindly, struggling to find who it was in the inky darkness.

"At least you're awake now, I suppose."

That voice…

Reno's eyes widened. "Godo?"

"Indeed."

"So you are alive."

There was a short laugh. "That fall must have really scrambled your brains, Turk. I wouldn't be talking to you if I weren't. I told you who I was before you fell, now didn't I?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean that I believed you." Reno couldn't hide his confusion, and although it was dark as pitch, he knew that Godo sensed it. His brain continued to frazzle at the implications of this… as well as his stuff up.

"And fair enough, too."

Reno sighed. "I don't suppose we're getting out of here soon, are we? Especially with the rate that fire's going?"

"Doubt it. It's not so bad, though… if you like black."

Reno snorted and pulled himself gingerly against a nearby wall. Slowly, his eyes began to adjust vaguely to the darkness. As he watched he caught sight of a small glimmer of light in the corner, and the vague silhouette of the Lord of Wutai right next to it. Godo was slumped against a wall, his arms across his chest, his legs out in front of him. He wasn't moving.

"You hurt?"

There was a snort that echoed rudely around the chamber. "Of course not. I wasn't the one that fell through here head first."

"… With good reason," Reno muttered.

"Oh shut up. First thing's first, I have a very relevant question to ask."

"What's that?"

"Why the _hell_ did Reeve send a Turk to Wutai?"

Reno winced. "Would you believe to keep an eye on the very same thug that kidnapped you?"

"You've got to be kidding. How long have you been here for?"

"Three days."

"And you were just sent to watch him? You know who he is? What he's doing here?"

"Yep."

"Well, then you know a damned sight more than me. Don't suppose you'd care to tell me how long I've been in here for?"

"You don't want to know."

"Correction. I _do_ want to know."

"… Five days."

"_Five days! _Wutai'll be on its last legs!"

"No, actually Yuffie, Staniv and Shake have been doing a pretty good job of things, though the press are having a field day."

Godo went suddenly quiet, and Reno frowned. "What?"

"… Yuffie? How is she coping?"

Reno pressed the digital display on his watch, noting the time as the light switched on. He blew his breath out slowly through his lips and ran a hand through his hair. "We _are_ going to be in here are while?"

"Don't doubt it, Turk."

"Well I guess I should begin at the start, then."

"Very appropriate, given that I've been stuck in a black hole for five days. Feel free to start anytime, Reno, I have a feeling we're going to be here a while, especially with the whole building coming down on top of us."

"That's just what Yuffie said."

* * * * *

Yuffie's eyes stung with tears that wouldn't come. Her eyes were dry, but she knew she should be weeping. As it was she was having a hard time staying awake, though the paramedic's constant pestering was keeping her that way. As her eyes began to slip closed again she pinched her arm, feeling herself jump with a trick that was now becoming quite old.

The alleyway was less crowded now, with there being less hurry to get people out. She knew there was no way anyone could be alive in there, but the way they had given that hope up seemed wrong. Reno had saved her life, it was only fair they try to help him.

And what about her father…?

It seemed even the fire-fighters had weakened their attempts. The building, now a smouldering pile of twisted wood and metal, could have been mistaken for any old burn-off. The fire had been prevented from extending to the other buildings in the area. Apparently, that was all that mattered.

Yuffie ducked her head and rearranged herself on the stretcher as hers legs began to fall asleep. She found her eyes focussed inexplicably on the fire, and she was unable to drag her gaze away as great plumes of smoke rose into the sky. 

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there when a shrill scream pierced the air. Yuffie turned as fast as her body would allow her, and her head throbbed in pain as she looked at the two new figures standing at the end of the alleyway. Even through her blurred vision she could see the looks on their faces, and the way the female gripped her hands together in worry.

As the two began to make their way reluctantly forward, Yuffie fought her way to her feet and teetered over to them. For a moment she thought she was going to fall as a wave of dizziness obscured her vision, but then a strong hand on her arm helped her to steady, and she looked up into Rude's dark eyes. 

"… Reno?"

The word escaped the bald man's lips almost before she'd met his eyes, but the moment she looked at him she knew he could tell. She watched as his usually expressionless face adorned a look of puzzlement, but he said nothing more.

From beside him Elena visibly sagged. "Oh, gods. Please tell me he isn't in there." Her voice was but a breath, and even though they had been enemies in the past, Yuffie couldn't bring herself to be angered at the two.

Yuffie ducked her head and bit her lip. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "He was fine, and then he went back in after someone."

Elena shook her head and walked off, her eyes glistening in the light of the fire. Yuffie watched as she reluctantly took one step after the other, forcing herself to face the reality of the situation. She saw her wipe at her eye, and realised idly that she was doing the same. She stood there for a moment, then lowered her gaze to the ground. Caught off guard, she wasn't prepared for the wave of dizziness that washed over her. She felt her knees weaken, and before she could stop herself she was on her knees on the ground.

"You're injured," spoke a voice next to her.

She sniffed indignantly, her eyes rooted firmly on Elena's figure. "I'm fine."

Rude took her arm, and more gently than she'd have thought possible for such a man, steered her over to the stretcher she'd been sitting on before. From somewhere he procured a blanket, and wrapped it around her shoulders before seating himself next to her. Through hazy eyes Yuffie met his gaze, noting for the first time that he didn't wear his sunglasses. She saw that his expression was unguarded, his brown eyes troubled. His gaze occasionally flickered imperceptibly to the fire, then to Elena, and back to herself. His confusion was evident by the set of his mouth, and how his head was tipped slightly to the side, as if he were trying to figure something out that was eluding him.

Yuffie clutched the blankets closer to her, feeling suddenly cold despite the fire not far away. "I s'pose you'll want to know what happened."

Rude nodded. "It's not often Reno runs into a fire twice in one day, _especially_ on a surveillance mission."

Yuffie rubbed at her nose, watching Elena's stoic silhouette as she swayed ever so slightly in the firelight. "He went in after me."

"Ah. Now that makes more sense." Rude appraised her with a steady gaze.

"W-we did get out okay. He came in after me, and I-I wasn't sure why. He didn't give me a decent answer."

"… And then he went back in again."

"Yeah."

There was a sigh. "You know he'd never do that, though."

Yuffie looked up, confused. "Do what?"

"Give a straight answer to anyone he gets even close to give a damn about. He's too afraid of letting someone close."

Yuffie frowned. "What d'you mean?"

But Rude just shook his head and turned his gaze to the fire. "You know, I told him to stay out of trouble. It's not like he ever listens. I just thought, that perhaps it would work this time. As soon as we arrived I knew he'd be here. You wouldn't catch him without it. But you can always hope."

"But it's Reno, and Reno'll never change. Always doing it to impress people, never mind that it's not good for him." This came from Elena, who'd moved to stand next to them. Yuffie watched as she sunk down next to Rude, her head coming to rest tiredly on his shoulder. She tried to ignore the tears that seeped through Elena's closed eyes, but instead found herself wiping at her own.

Why did things always have to happen this way?

* * * * *

Reno paused mid-note for a moment before going on to finish the tune. When he was done with Yankee Doodle he moved onto the next one, and then the next. Ten minutes later he was out of tunes altogether, so he began the vicious cycle again. It was something he'd done years ago when he'd been stuck in the Shinra sewers, and hey, it _had_ passed the time until he'd found his way out. This, he figured, was no different.

There came a groan from somewhere in the distance, and Reno looked up to see Godo plastering his hands to his ears. "Will you stop that mundane whistling, already?"

Reno snorted and shrugged. "It's not like there's anything else to do in here."

"No, but at least there's oxygen. _Most_ of which, I might add, you're using up by tunelessly frolicking your way through every simple piece of music you've ever heard of."

"Well what else are we supposed to do?"

"Try being patient."

"Patience isn't a virtue that I'm well aware of, Godo, my man."

"Well perhaps it's time you learnt. It's where you shut your mouth and keep it shut for as long as you can."

Reno tipped his head back against the wall and began cracking his knuckles. After every one had given in with a satisfying pop, he pressed himself to his hands and knees and started to crawl painfully around the room, feeling the walls and floor for any little surprises they might hide. His knee began to throb harder, but he ignored it. If he didn't do something soon he was going to go crazy.

"What are you doing _now_?"

"What does it look like? I'm killing my boredom by scavenging."

"Don't you think I've already tried that?"

"Yes, but I've got to do something."

"Why bother? The walls and roof are solid metal construct. So is the hatch that you fell through. There are no holes, merely an air vent in the bottom of the wall to my left that must somehow be filtered outside, as there isn't any smoke coming in. The metal is, I guess, what is keeping the whole place from collapsing in around us. The floor is not even worth mentioning, although, I warrant that I've spent most of my time here on it. Personally, I don't think digging _downwards _is going to get us anywhere. Did I mention the ten ton of flaming rubble now sitting on top of us?"

Reno shot Godo a blunt look.

"Is there anything I've forgotten?"

There was a brief pause. "Just one thing."

"And what would that be, Reno?"

"Just that nothing you say is going to stop me from searching this goddamned room anyway."

* * * * *

"You know, I keep half-expecting him to just walk out of there, whistling some stupid song and looking as happy as he had the day he pulled that joker prank on Reeve."

"Or as half-fried as the time when he set your office's curtains on fire."

"Or when – what?"

"A year and a half ago Reno set your curtains on fire by accident. He left the ashtray on the windowsill and the curtains were pulled. They caught fire sometime when Reno left the room. About a minute later he came back before pulling them off. The next time _I _saw him he was throwing the bloody things into the restroom's sink trying to put the flames out. He set the smoke alarms off all over the building and it took him ages to get them stopped. As it was, he shot four of them down to shut them up."

"And why didn't _he_ tell me this?"

Rude shrugged. "He didn't see any need to. It took him a whole day to find matching curtains, and he threatened the upholsterer bodily harm if they weren't finished by three that day."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. He was standing behind the poor guy the whole time he was sewing with his nightstick. Turned out they were finally finished ten minutes before you got back."

"Oh, gods. What was he doing in my office, anyway?"

"Yours is the only one with an open window. He was dying for a smoke, or so he said."

Elena sighed and pulled herself in closer to Rude at the end of the stretcher, while Yuffie snuggled herself further into her blanket, closing her eyes to hide the remains of the fire from her sight. Staniv and Shake were off with the emergency services just outside the alley. They'd left her here with the other two Turks reluctantly, but she would not be moved. The sky couldn't be seen well through the smoke, though tinges of pink that weren't just from the fire streaked across the sky. She had stayed the whole night, and it was fast approaching dawn. She _wasn't _moving until at least then.

Most of the firemen had left, and the few still there were checking for hotspots, hoses in hand. They were walking around the remains of the building like it was a normal day. The way they sauntered through the rubble carelessly sickened her. Yuffie scowled. Would they at least search? Wasn't trying better than nothing?

Elena looked up at Yuffie through half-lidded eyes. She watched as the girl's face flickered with constant emotion before settling into an unhappy scowl. She could see her tears had dried up, but that didn't mean they weren't there. She saw the way she gripped the blanket like a lifeline.

"Yuffie?"

"… Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about your father."

Yuffie lowered her eyes and picked at the blanket. " 's okay."

Elena nodded, a small frown settling on her petite features. She turned back to the smoking pile of rubble and bit her lip, trying to stop her own tears from coming. She could imagine what Reno would say if he saw her like this.

__

Elena, don't act so weak…

There came a small sigh from her left. "Elena? Rude?"

"Mm?"

"Sorry about Reno. I-"

"It's all right," Elena finished quickly. "Reno makes his own choices. He told us that during Meteor, and he hasn't stopped telling us. He knew the risk involved on this mission, even though it was just surveillance. Though I doubt he ever guessed this."

"… No."

The two woman resettled, while Rude continued to stare at the fire, entranced. His gaze occasionally flickered to Yuffie, who seemed to be caught up in her own little world, her hand gripping her arm almost absently, her hands running along the line of a fresh scar. 

Rude couldn't stop the frown that settled across his face. How had Reno managed to get so caught up in all of this? He shook his head, holding back the beginnings of a rueful smile. _'I don't suppose I'm ever going to quite figure that one out. You always were leaving us guessing, my friend.'_

"How could he do this to us, Rude?" he heard Elena whisper against his neck. "Why did he leave us?"

He shook his head, his eyes never leaving the spot. Any words he chose offered no explanation.

* * * * 

Reno settled back against the wall and groaned as he probed at his knee. From his little trip around the room it had begun aching fiercely, though he didn't think he'd broken anything; he'd just landed on it slightly wrong. God forbid him ever doing anything right. He hadn't tried standing on it yet, though he guessed the outcome would probably be less than favourable.

"Did you find anything while you were gallivanting around the room? Any hidden passageways? Trapdoors? Beer?"

Reno smirked. "Ha, ha, old man."

There was a moment's silence. "So I'd imagine Shake was greatly enthused by your involvement in this."

"Well he did lock me in one of your guest rooms."

"You're joking."

"It turned out fine, though. I got out, and he got in shit. End of story."

"With Staniv?"

"With Staniv."

"Ouch."

"Exactly what I said, though he didn't greatly value my opinion."

"I can't imagine he would."

They went quiet, with nothing else to say. After a moment Reno began picking at his gloves, a low whistle beginning under his breath.

"Turk?"

Reno winced. "Yeah?"

"I believe I'm bored enough to join you this time."

Reno grinned and shook his head. He began whistling again, raising his eyebrows when another whistle rose up from beside him. They were halfway through the Incy Wincy Spider when Reno heard the tune to his left drop off temporarily. He stopped, half expecting to be told to shut up.

"Oh, and Turk?"

"Yep?"

"Not a word."

Reno snorted and resumed his boredom.

* * * * *

Rude resettled himself uncomfortably on the stretcher, looking down at the bobbing head resting on the crook of his neck. He could hear Elena's breathing coming quieter now, and he knew she was sleeping. It had been a long, boring trip here, and an even longer night. And though it was well past dawn, he had no intentions of leaving just yet. _No one_ was going to tell him otherwise.

He closed his eyes for a moment and let his shoulders slump. He still expected Reno to walk out of there any moment, and he was going to hold onto that meagre hope as long as he could.

Rude glanced at Yuffie out of the corner of his eye, watching as her eyes began to slip closed. He looked at his watch. Seven-forty. She still couldn't afford to sleep yet, not by the way the paramedic had sounded.

"Yuffie."

She jumped at the sound, looking around quickly for the source of the voice. He watched as she stared past him to the remains of the building for a moment before focussing her bleary eyes on him. 

"Thanks," she whispered, ducking her head. Her fingers again traced the scar, though Rude didn't comment. At least she was awake.

He nodded in acquiescence and again felt his eyes drawn toward the remains of the fire. It was but a smoking black pile now, and one plank of charred wood was barely indiscernible from the next. Everything in the area seemed to be covered in a fine layer of grey ash or foam. He bit back a sigh and instead focussed on the firemen as they went about their work, picking their way through the rubbish, hosing the occasional spot and moving on to the next.

Rude wasn't sure how long he'd been watching them before one man jumped back, startled by something in the rubble. He couldn't hear much over the hoses, but the way he was reacting it looked like he'd found more than he'd bargained for. He continued to watch the scene with interest, leaning forward ever so slightly with his eyes narrowed. What they were doing he couldn't tell, but something was drawing him to it.

As one of the men called the other and pointed to a particular spot in the debris-strewn ground emphatically, Rude began to stand slowly, forgetting that Elena's head was resting on his shoulder. He heard a dull thump next to him and glanced quickly to his left, eyeing Elena as she pushed herself groggily to her feet.

"Jeez, Rude. What the… What?"

Rude shook his head slowly, his eyes fixated on the spot. He began to make his way to the beginnings of the rubble. "I'm not sure."

"Then-"

"Shh!"

Elena paused mid-stride, her gaze on Rude's back as he also stopped dead. She took a wary step forward, shadowing her partner's movements as he did the same. "What is it?" she whispered.

"Listen."

Elena fell silent, not sure what to think. But when an uncannily familiar whistle rose up into the stiff morning breeze, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She dared not breathe in case the sound went away, and warily she saw Rude take a faltering step forward. She shook her head slowly, hope blossoming in her chest as she spotted for the first time the emergency services cluttering around a spot on the ground, talking hastily.

"Please," she breathed as she moved ever-closer to the spot. "Come on, Reno."

When they reached the beginnings of the rubble a man dressed in the brilliant yellow dressings of a fireman stepped out in front of them.

"I'm sorry, but you two are going to have to wait here. There may still be some hot spots and it isn't safe should any of them flare up again."

Rude eyed the sopping rubble in front of them, raising an eyebrow at the way the foam dripped off the occasional plank of wood or metal. He turned back to the man, watching the way he shifted from foot to foot nervously. He said nothing.

"L-look. We can't let you through there."

Elena, who had stepped up beside him, snorted rudely. "Enough with the excuses. What have you found over there?"

The man turned briefly back to the spot where all the fire fighters were clustered. "We've found something."

"I can see that. What I can't see is _what_."

"Well – uh… I'm not able to disclose that information to you, ma'am."

Rude shook his head and took a step forward, grabbing the man's protective suiting and pulling him off his feet to a position level with his concealed eyes. "I think you'd better," he muttered. "Now what is it?"

"W-well t-there's two men in an underground hatch there, sir. We've only managed to get a name out of one of them, b-because he wouldn't stop swearing at us long enough to let the other one speak."

"And what was his name?" Elena asked quietly.

"Oh, jeez," the man said hoarsely as he cast a nervous glance back at the ground. Rude lifted him higher, and his feet left the ground completely. "Okay! Okay! He said his name was Santa Claus, all right? I ain't shitting ya!"

Elena snorted in disbelief, while Rude dropped the man back to his feet and pushed past him. 

"Reno?"

"Reno," the bald Turk confirmed.

Rude moved quickly, avoiding the haphazardly strewn debris as much as he could. It didn't take him long to reach the desired spot and quickly he pushed his way to the front of the people, with Elena trailing only slightly behind. He looked down at the spot, then up at the men who were surrounding it.

"What are you just standing there for?" Elena demanded. "Why aren't you getting them out?"

It seemed to take them a moment to register that the two Turks standing there certainly weren't firemen.

"What are you doing here?" one of them spoke up. "You can't be here. You're civilians."

"Oh god, do I really have to do this?" she muttered. When she was met only with icy glares, she reached into her blazer's pocket and pulled out her identification card. "We're Shinra," she offered helpfully. "We ain't civilians, got it?"

"I – we're sorry, miss. We didn't know."

The blonde smirked and turned to Rude, who was still eyeing the barely recognisable spot. She could still hear the faint whistling rising through the ground, and she ducked her head as a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"So why aren't you getting them out?"

There was a sigh from within the crowd. "We're waiting for the lifting equipment for the beams, miss. We can't move them until then."

"You don't need equipment!" She glanced at Rude. "Shall I go get it?"

"I think so."

As Elena bustled off Rude crouched down by the indistinguishable spot, his hand passing just over top of the rubble without actually touching it. "Reno?" he called loudly.

The decadent whistling abruptly stopped. "Rude?"

"… Yes."

There was a moment's silence. "What the hell are you doing here!"

"We arrived back early, so Reeve sent us early."

"You mean he was checking up on me?"

"No, actually, he just said that he had a hunch you'd find trouble."

From somewhere in the confines of the cell, Reno snorted. "You guys have so much confidence in me."

"Well founded confidence, Reno." But no matter what he did he couldn't keep the relief or the amusement out of his voice.

Reno, apparently, noticed it. "You wouldn't be going all goggly-eyed on me, now would ya, Rude?"

At that moment Elena appeared by his side, holding a glowing green orb, giving him reason enough not to answer. As soon as she stopped she abruptly cast the Protect spell on Rude and herself, then bent down to begin lifting, her petite features contorting with the effort of lifting some of the heavy debris. Beside her Rude was tossing away items effortlessly.

After a second she stood and eyed the men watching them warily. "On second thought," she said, and cast the same spell on the surrounding firemen. "Get lifting!"

* * * * * 

Rude lifted the last charred beam and threw it negligently onto the top of the pile that had been hastily created by their scavenging. He turned back to the cleared section. On first glance of the immediate area he found nothing, given that most of the wooden floor had been burnt away in the fire. But when he crouched closer he spotted a faint outline patterned in amongst the dust and ash, and he shook his head in disbelief as he quickly wiped at the spot with his hand.

"How the hell do you do it, Reno," Elena whispered beside him, as she eyed the metal framework of what must have been a holding cell. She watched as Rude began to feel around the small square outline that they'd recovered, trying to find anything of enough leverage to pull it open.

Eventually Rude felt his hands close around a tiny latch. He unhooked it deftly and began pulling when he found a small, hollow circle big enough for him to put his fingers in. When it didn't budge, he held back a curse. He tried again countless times, but the hatch was either stuck, or too heavy for him to lift. He sat back, confused as to how Reno could have gotten in there so easily by himself.

"Rude?" came a voice from below him.

"Yes?"

"Thought you might like to know, buddy, the hatch opens downward."

Elena sniggered, while Rude shook his head. "Don't suppose you could have told us that sooner," she called down.

"Nah, takes all the fun out of it."

Sure enough, when Rude pushed on the hatch it opened relatively easily, though when he let go it shut itself with a snap. Comprehension dawned on him. "So that's how they survived," he muttered to himself. The hatch had closed itself, effectively blocking the smoke and the flames out of the metal enclosure.

The next time he pushed on the lid someone held it down for him, and instead of bothering to check who, he peered down into the darkness of the cell, even as the light reached inside. He leaned closer when he didn't see anything. He was about to call out when a familiar figure moved into his immediate view.

"G'day," Reno grinned up at him as he stood, wincing at the sudden intrusion of light. "What took you so long." The redhead flicked his sunglasses down over his eyes after giving his friend a conspiratory wink.

Rude appraised his partner with a steadfast look, barely hiding his relief. It wasn't until he saw him that Rude felt any illusions about his partner's fate drop. Reno was distributing his weight heavily on one leg, the other one placed gingerly on the ground with caution. He could see numerous cuts and abrasions on his visible skin, and his filthy shirt was in tatters. He seemed remarkably free of burns, and, remembering the spell he'd cast on himself moments earlier, Rude realised why. He looked closer, noticing the small gash Reno had on his temple. He was covered in layer upon layer of soot, his face as dirty as the rest of his clothing, but he appeared no worse for wear.

"You look like shit."

"Better than a pile of charred bones."

"You used the other Protect Materia," Rude surmised.

Reno picked at his tattered clothing disgustedly. "Until it ran out."

Rude snorted and proceeded to examine the room. There was no way he'd be able to lean down and pull Reno out, the room was at least four metres deep. He turned to a man who was peering over the hole beside him. "Get me a ladder."

"Got one," came a distinctly female voice over the sudden commotion of the firemen. 

Rude looked up at Elena, who had disappeared at one moment in time only to reappear with a collapsible ladder at her disposal. The size of the large metal object dwarfed her smaller frame, though he resisted the urge to comment, and instead helped her extend its frame and lower it into the hole. Hearing the solid clunk as the item hit the floor, Rude leaned forward further. 

"Come on up."

"Yeah, yeah." Reno grabbed the ladder with a firm grip, muttering to himself as he struggled to climb it with an injured leg. His progress was slow, and countless times he cursed at his partners, who stood watching him the whole time. When he finally reached the top he sunk down over the hatch's exit and closed his eyes in relief as Rude bent over to allow the last person up.

"Reno."

"Mmm?"

"Where are you hurt?"

Reno opened his eyes as Elena crouched over him, her eyes scanning him for injuries with worry. For lack of anything better to do, he cuffed her upside the head and forced his aching body into a sitting position, a quick grin plastered on his face. "I'm fine, 'Laney. We can deal with me later, it's the other person we should be focussing on."

"And whose that?"

Reno dropped his head back to the ground and closed his eyes. "Why don't you take a look for yourself."

Elena shook her head and peered over the top of the hatch as a second figure emerged into the light. She blinked once, then twice, her eyes widening in disbelief as she watched the large man scale the ladder. When he was halfway to the top, she eyed the grimy man with confusion as he himself blanched at the sudden invasion of light. This wasn't making sense.

She leaned into Rude. "I'm not seeing things, am I?"

Rude just shook his head and helped the man up without a word as he reached the top of the hatch. Hadn't the headlines said that Godo was dead? He looked up at the firemen, trying to judge their reaction to this discovery. It wasn't hard to notice. Rude watched as the men clustered around the hole took a hesitant step backward, shaking their heads in disbelief as they muttered and pointed in shock. So Reeve hadn't been ill informed. Godo had been presumed dead.

Rude extended his arm as the man struggled to stand, nodding as the man took the offered help. "Good to see you safe, sir."

Godo nodded from under shielded eyes, watching as various men began to move in around them. "I'll bet. Now get all these idiots away from me, I've got my daughter to see to."

* * * * *

Yuffie pulled her blanket closer to her body as the morning wind picked up. In the distance she watched as the two Turks stood and made their way over to the rubble, where something was going on. Too tired to pay attention she watched with a half-lidded gaze, not really comprehending the whole situation even though her eyes were on it. She sighed, not sure what Elena and Rude were up to, but then again, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

… That was, until a very familiar voice broke through the haze in her mind.

"Out of the road, peoples! VIP coming through!"

Yuffie looked up, sure she was hearing things. It wasn't possible. Not logical. Not even probable. She leaned forward, unable to see anything through the crowd of firemen as they began to cluster around a central point. She waved her hand irritably as the men obscured her vision, then, convinced it was all a trick she shook her head, about to focus her attention elsewhere. That was when the face appeared to match the voice.

"Hello, Yuff. Not happy to see me?"

She blinked, unbelieving, wanting to tear her deceiving eyes away from the figure lest she get her heart broken again. But all doubt was removed as that figure approached her, the most infectious grin she had ever seen lighting up his soot-covered features. She could only watch as he crouched gingerly in front of her, his eyes warm and glittering with mirth, like cheating death was the biggest kick in the world.

"But how…" Her voice seemed to disappear altogether as her mouth gaped, and she shook her head again as if to clear it. Any relief she felt was hidden by her hesitancy. This wasn't right.

Reno took his weight off Elena's shoulder for only a second as he leaned forward to ruffle Yuffie's hair. He grinned at her, raising his eyebrows ever so slightly. "Maybe Tseng was right after all," he said mysteriously, winking.

"… What?"

"Faith."

She was about to ask him what he meant, about to ask him to repeat himself, but just then her eyes caught on something else; someone she never thought she'd see again in her life. Her ability for rational thought stopped completely this time, and she barely noticed as Reno moved away from her to allow the other person through.

"It can't be… You're dead," she whispered, though her heart pounded in defiance as she fervently wished the statement to be untrue.

"Now that isn't a very nice thing to say to your father."

Reno leaned into Godo, offering a conspiratory wink. "Never mind that first comment. She said the same thing to me last time. She seems to get past it eventually."

If she hadn't been so shocked by the sight of the two ghosts in front of her, she would have found something to say. She would have stood, punched Reno, and hugged her father so fiercely it hurt. But she couldn't even move. She was paralysed by her fear that both weren't real, and that both would disappear if she so much as blinked.

But when her father pulled her into a hug all of his own power, and she felt the prickle of his growing beard against her face, and the familiar silk of his shirt, she knew she wasn't dreaming. Ghosts weren't solid, and now Reno and her father were alive. She didn't care how, and she didn't care why.

__

Have a little faith…

She allowed herself to close her eyes against Godo's cheek, an indescribable joy filling her as she let warm tears flow from her eyes. And this time, they were tears of happiness.

* * * * *

"Lord Godo?"

The small group clustered at the Pagoda's entranceway turned to face Shake, who was standing just outside their circle. In the light of the late morning it was evident he was on edge, his expression guarded.

"Yes?"

"We're off schedule. You have the meeting at the Police Station in twenty minutes, and there are still some final details to go through."

"All right, Shake. I'll be there in a minute."

This answer seemed to satisfy the shorter aide and he turned to leave, though not without offering the briefest of nods to Reno, Rude and Elena. At this acknowledgement Reno cocked his head. It hadn't been a look of companionship, but one of understanding. Of thanks?

When he turned back to Godo he was offered the wryest of smiles. 

"Well, Leviathon forbid me for getting off schedule. It seems I've missed a lot in the past week or so, and I guess it's about time I made up for it."

Reno smirked at Shake's receding form. "Don't let me stop you."

Godo nodded with a small frown. He looked about to leave, then as if on second thought he paused under the entrance of the Pagoda, his expression thoughtful. "I know I'm going to regret saying this, Reno, but I _do _owe you one." And then he turned and walked briskly away, leaving Yuffie face to face with the three Turks.

"Well that was certainly interesting," Elena muttered under her breath. When no one else replied to her comment she frowned, noting how everything had gone uncomfortably silent. She looked up to see Yuffie eyeing the group warily, outnumbered and unsure of herself. She frowned, about to comment when a sharp elbow jabbed her in the ribs.

"Ow! What!"

But Rude didn't answer, merely jerked his chin toward Reno. Elena noted the small frown on the redhead's face, and the raised eyebrow hidden behind his dark sunglasses. When, in that small moment there still wasn't so much as a breath out of place, Elena sighed, running a hand through her hair. It looked like she was going to have to make the excuses this time.

"Yuffie?"

Yuffie looked up from the ground. "Mm?"

"We called a cab about ten minutes ago, and if we have any sense then we'll wait for it before it drives off on us. Rude and I are going to wait for it, because there's some things we've got to do beforehand at the Parole Office. And besides, Reno's too slow for us at the moment, the cab'll leave before we even get to the station."

"Oh. Well, I guess I'll see you guys around then, huh?"

Elena smiled. "Will do. Make sure Reno doesn't walk around on his leg too much before we come back with the cab, all right? He hasn't let us heal the damned thing yet, and he's probably going to do it more bad than good."

Yuffie nodded. "All right."

Reno, who had felt more than seen the exchange between Rude and Elena moments before, narrowed his eyes. "What am I, a wuss? I can-"

"We'll see you back here, Reno." He was silenced by Elena's patent glare. The blonde turned to Yuffie, nodded, and left with Rude trailing just behind her without further comment.

Reno frowned as he watched them leave. He knew what she was doing, and _yes_ his leg did hurt like hell, but he only hoped like hell she'd come back soon with the cab. This goodbye was going to be more than uncomfortable, and though he was a Turk, it didn't necessarily make things any easier. He watched as Yuffie took a seat on the steps just below them. 

"So… "

Hiding any expression from his face Reno hesitantly took a seat next to her. "So?"

"Dad's right, you know. We do owe you."

Reno shrugged. "Shake isn't going to like that much."

"I'm sure. He really doesn't want to have to pay for the room he locked you in, but he said he's doing it out of honour."

"So he does regret locking me in that room, huh?"

"More than likely, if not only because how much it's going to cost him so much."

They fell into silence, and Reno watched out in the distance for a black cab. Not seeing one, he sighed and ran a hand over his face in frustration. He narrowed his eyes against the glare. Why did the morning seem so bright even through his glasses?

"… Reno?"

"Yeah?"

There was a sigh to his right. "I still don't understand why you came in after me. You didn't have to do that - come get me, I mean."

__

'That makes two of us that have no idea….' "What makes you think I'd do it just for the perks?"

"It just seems like…"

"No, Yuff."

"Well then…"

Reno flipped his sunglasses up onto his head and looked her square in the eye. "You saved my life, I saved yours. We're more than square." He offered her a wry grin. "Trust me, the last person in the world you want to be owing is a Turk."

"But-"

"Enough!" Reno laughed. "You don't owe me, all right? I did what was fair. Did you leave me stranded in the fields when I could no longer walk?"

"Well… no." Yuffie felt a small smile creep across her face and the tension was broken. "Can I admit I was tempted to?"

Reno snorted. "Can I admit that I was tempted to cuff you upside the head every time you punched me in my hotel room?"

Yuffie ducked her head with a grin. "Sorry."

He shrugged. "Never mind, it was fair enough at the time."

"… Yeah."

"So I guess you're staying home for a while?"

"I think so. There's the idea of a new psychologist to deal with, and also we've got to do further research on the men that were in with Carlos."

"You caught the one that I cuffed to the building?"

"Yes. He's being trialled next week."

"Good. That little shit was nothing but trouble."

Yuffie smirked, then sobered as she watched Reno stare out into the distance, waiting for sight of the cab. She toyed with the hem of her top. "They were really worried about you, you know."

Reno shrugged, frowning. "They worry too much. I'm not an invalid."

"I know." Yuffie fell silent, not sure what to say next. She felt like she owed him more than just that. But how was she supposed to tell him she was worried too? She bit her lip. "… Reno?"

"Mmhmm?"

"I… Thank you,."

"What?"

He turned to her, only to find himself suddenly enveloped in a bear hug so tight he could barely breathe. He hesitated for a moment as he looked over her shoulder, wary of the people around him before he cautiously put his arms around her, returning the gesture. He frowned. When was the last time someone had given him a hug…

"How would I have known my father was alive if you hadn't come after me?" Yuffie whispered against his cheek. "I would have been dead myself… I…. "

Reno shook his head emphatically. He put his hand on her shoulders and pushed her gently away so he could look her in the eye. "You would have found a way, Yuff."

Yuffie smiled, and Reno noticed the tears she was struggling to hold back. He wiped a tear off her cheek as she sniffed and lowered her eyes. "You've got your father back now. What more could you ask for? There's no need for tears wasted, especially on a Turk."

She nodded imperceptibly and looked up again. When her gaze didn't waver from a spot Reno followed her line of sight, recognising the familiar outline of the cab Elena had called. He stood quickly, slinging his back over his shoulder, offering a hand to Yuffie so she could stand.

"Well, that's me," he said. He offered her a quick grin and released the hand she hadn't quite let go of. "Take care of yourself, all right? No more burning buildings."

She nodded, her expression steady. "All right."

"See you around." He winked at her and turned on his heel as he heard the car pull up at the base of the steps, and began limping his way down them, flicking his sunglasses over his eyes to keep his expression unreadable. He had barely gotten halfway before a voice called out behind him.

"Hey, Reno?"

He turned to see her holding a glowing green orb in her hand, watched as she struggled to keep her own expression under control. He cocked his head and distributed his weight onto his uninjured leg. "… Yeah?"

"Uh… I borrowed this."

He caught the item easily in one hand as she threw it through the air. He looked down at the Materia and frowned as he scanned it with his mind. He shook his head. "This isn't mine. Neither of my Fire materia are that strong."

There was a short laugh. "Oh, I've had that one since the sky cab crashed."

"You _kept_ it! Then why-"

"I mastered it when I cast the spell on Carlos and the rest of the building."

"You're kidding."

Yuffie smirked. "Nope. It's yours all right."

"Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath. He turned to leave when she didn't say anything else, but was stopped again by another voice.

"Oh, and Reno!"

He rubbed his hand over his face, holding back a smirk as his amusement tried to get the better of him. "Yep?"

He watched as Yuffie struggled to keep her face straight, as she struggled to shrug negligently. She threw two more items back at him, and he caught them with no less ease. "What are these for?"

There was a nervous laugh. "Well – uh… They're the other two I, uh-"

"You mean you didn't give me all my materia back when I asked you to!"

"Well… no."

Reno finally allowed the laugh that bubbled up inside his chest to escape. "Anything else I should know about?"

Yuffie assumed a puzzled expression before answering. "Uh… Nope."

"Good." Reno made his way to the car, his hand pausing above the door handle as he waited for her to say something else. He swore under his breath at the expectancy, and opened the back door hastily when not so much as a word was uttered. He ignored the curious glances from Rude and Elena as he sat down on the bucket seats, and instead focussed on closing the door. He did so a lot more reluctantly than he would have liked, and it was nearly closed before he heard her voice again.

"… Still owe you one."

He slammed open the door and leapt out, hand clutching the Fire Materia tightly. He clearly heard her laugh as she fled into the Pagoda before he could so much as comment. 

"Save the materia for the paperwork, Turk," he heard her yell back.

Sinking back into the seat Reno lowered his gaze, trying to ignore Elena as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Eventually his temper got the best of him. "What!"

"Oh, nothing," Elena muttered absently, turning away with the smallest of frowns marring her petite features.

Reno scowled, looking down at the materia. As the cab moved away he cast a sidelong glance out of the corner of his eye, catching the briefest glimpse of brunette hair and a wide grin just behind the Padoda's large columns before it was soon out of sight. He didn't pursue the matter, though he couldn't help the slow grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He kept his head turned, looking down at the glowing spheres as he struggled to hide his expression from his partners.

"Damned brat," he muttered under his breath as he eyed the materia she'd returned. "Nothing but a damned brat."

Unconsciously his gaze flickered back to the spot where he'd last seen her, only to find that there was nothing there but the row of trees that separated the Pagoda from the city. The Pagoda was gone and so was she.

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair in frustration, readjusting his sunglasses in an effort to compose himself. "Goddamn it, Reno, you are getting soft." But his grin didn't go away for a long time, and no matter how he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd left something very important behind.

_**~FIN**_

* * * * * *

__

I am a little bit of loneliness a little bit of disregard  
Handful of complaints but I can't help the fact that everyone can see these scars  
I am what I want you to want what I convince you to feel  
But it's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you, to just believe this is real  
So I let go, watching you, turn you back like you always do  
Face away and pretend that I'm not  
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I got.

-Linkin Park, Faint.

* * * * *

__

Author's Notes:

Well, there we go. I'm finished, and in only one more chapter. I'm only sorry it all took so long to get done, though, but I can finish on a good note and say that I *did* get it all finished! I hope you all liked it.

OH! NOTE 2: This story has been utterly REVISED – another reason it took me so long to post this last one, as I decided it needed reworking before I posted this last chapter. My writing style is very wordy (in case you haven't noticed), and the chapters I've read over have been updated and (hopefully) improved for the better. Many have been cut drastically. 

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed thus far, and please continue to do so! (Subtle hint ~_^)

Now the decision remains as to whether I should continue with writing my *next* story, or quit while I'm behind? ^^ Feel free to reply with a response, hehe.

Cheers for now!

~Ealinesse.

PS: Lyss: Thank you for your reviews. I was in the process of re-doing my chapters when I got your reviews, and I couldn't help but hope that no one would read this fic again until I'd updated it… I hope I've improved some, and I hope the new chapters aren't too disappointing for you. ^_^


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